The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) 21 CFR Part 112, Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (Produce Safety Rule), establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. The Produce Safety Rule includes six key requirements: Agricultural Water, Biological Soil Amendments, Sprouts, Domesticated and Wild Animals, Worker Training, Health and Hygiene, Equipment, Tools, Buildings, and Sanitation.
Idaho State Department Of Agricultures Role
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture, through an FDA grant, has been working to understand the scope of produce grown in Idaho that is covered by the Produce Safety Rule. The goal of this grant is to implement an integrated food-safety program that will prevent or significantly reduce the likelihood of a foodborne illness through standardized and consistent implementation of the Produce Safety Rule.
The ISDA and grant partner, University of Idaho(UI) Extension, are working together to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to the produce industry to help them comply with the Produce Safety Rule.
ISDA formed an FSMA advisory committee in 2015 to help provide leadership and guidance to Idaho agencies on the implementation of the FSMA rules. Members include legislators and representatives from each sector of the agriculture industry and businesses that may be affected by FSMA. This committee is essential to the implementation of the Produce Safety Rule in Idaho.
University of Idaho Extensions Role
UI Extension, in partnership with ISDA, is working to meet the education and outreach needs of the Idaho produce industry. Funding through this collaboration has enabled Extension to hire an Extension Educator to deliver FDA-approved Produce Safety Alliance courses at a significantly reduced cost
and conduct voluntary on-farm readiness reviews with farm operations prior to inspection.
We encourage you to access UI Extension’s FSMA Produce Safety website, which features the self-guided, anonymous decision tool for determining likely compliance or exemption status. On UI’s website you can also find recordings of annual webinars that are held each year and based on subjects identified by Idaho stakeholders or needs identified through inspections.