Agriculture Water Standards Compliance Dates Extended
June 9, 2017 Earlier this year, FDA announced that it is exploring ways to simplify the agricultural water standards established by the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) produce safety rule (PSR) after receiving feedback from stakeholders that some of the requirements are too complex to understand and implement.
FDA has announced its intention to extend the compliance dates for agricultural water requirements in the PSR (other than for sprouts). The agency intends to extend the compliance dates using appropriate procedures at a later time and the length of the extension is under consideration.
FDA intends to use the extended time period to work with stakeholders as it considers the best approach to address their concerns while still protecting public health. The extended compliance dates will also give farms an opportunity to continue to review their practices, processes, and procedures related to agricultural water and how it is used on their farms.
Agricultural water can be a major conduit of pathogens that can contaminate produce, which is why FSMA’s produce safety rule sets microbial quality standards for agricultural water, including irrigation water that comes into contact with produce. FDA remains committed to protecting public health while implementing rules that are workable across the diversity of the food industry.
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