NJ’s on-farm produce safety website to help with inspections

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s new produce safety website has launched to help professionals abide by the Food Safety Modernization Act, including the Produce Safety Rule.

Information on compliance and enforcement, grower training, third-party audit training and a Produce Safety Rule survey are also included, according to a news release.

“This website will help answer questions and provide essential information for producers about the inspections that are required by federal law,” state agriculture Secretary Doug Fisher said in the release.

The Food and Drug Administration has finalized seven major rules to implement FSMA, and one of the key aspects of the program is the Produce Safety Rule, which establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.

Along with the FDA compliance timelines and other information about FSMA and the Produce Safety Rule, the website also features links for what to expect during a regulatory inspection, records required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, an inspection checklist, grower and third party audit training courses and an on-farm readiness review.

There is also a link to a survey for those who grow, harvest, store and pack produce.

The website features a calendar that includes training dates, grower-industry meetings and other events.

The Produce Safety website address is nj.gov/agriculture/producesafety.