The Produce Safety Rule proposed by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) released on January 4, 2013 requires farmers and produce handlers to implement produce safety practices such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). The goal of these regulations is to reduce microbial contamination and reduce the number of outbreaks for food borne illnesses. The resources listed below have been developed by the University of California and other public universities to help growers comply with these regulations:
- The UC Davis Food Safety Website provides a number of resources developed by Dr. Linda Harris, Specialist in Microbial Food Safety and Dr. Trevor Suslow, Extension Food Safety Specialist.
- The Food Safety Education Program at the UC Small Farm Program has a variety of resources developed by the ANR Food Safety Education Program for Small and Limited Resource Farmers.
- The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Website provides all details pertinent to the act including the produce rule and supporting information.
- CDFA’s California Produce Safety Program
- UC Davis Western Center for Food Safety
- Produce Safety Alliance (PSA)
Food Safety Education Opportunities
- Riverside Food Systems Alliance’s Good Agricultural Practices & Food Safety Training