by Whitney Flach
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently invested $21.8 million in state-level implementation of the Produce Safety rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) highly commends this. This act will result in educating growers on new public health goals. Adequate federal funding can be a critical piece to successfully implementing the global preventive food safety system.
NASDA CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn applauds FDA for their leadership in this investment by saying, ?FDA?s actions show full recognition of the valuable role states will play in the implementation of FSMA.?
FSMA is a significant change in the approach to food safety, and the largest regulatory impact farmers have seen in decades. The Produce Safety Rule was published as one of several implementing rules of FSMA in November 2015. The rule goes into effect for the largest farms in January 2018.
Dr. Glenn says, ?NASDA appreciates the confidence that FDA is placing in the states to work with their local farmers to help to prevent food-borne illnesses. NASDA Members have the knowledge and relationships needed for farm-level front-line prevention.?
