Produce Safety (FSMA)

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate food from farm to fork, which enables the FDA to better protect the public by strengthening the food safety system. FSMA was signed into law on January 4, 2011 and represents the nation’s largest overhaul of federal food safety laws since 1938. The goal is to prevent foodborne outbreaks before they occur by taking proactive measures and shifting from a reactionary approach to a proactive approach. The enabling of FSMA created seven new federal rules that address produce, human food, animal food, transportation, and imported food. At this time, the Produce Safety Rule is the only rule the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) regulates. Employees of the Produce Safety Program operate under a grant provided by FDA to regulate produce grown in Idaho.