By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
In compliance with federal law and to ensure the safety of U.S. consumers, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has begun the assessment and compliance phase of its regulatory program related to the Produce Safety Rule.
TDA officials are now visiting with farmers who grow more than $500,000 a year in produce that is eaten fresh and raw, like leafy greens.
“This is intended to be a proactive program instead of reactive. [Nationally] we’ve had people get sick from spinach, from other types of produce, and we’ve always reacted to it,” Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “This approach is to prevent that from happening in the first place.”
The on-farm visits come after three years of training and education by TDA with growers to prepare for implementation of the Produce Safety Rule.
The rule is related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was passed by Congress in 2011 to prevent food borne illnesses.
A key provision of FSMA was to establish minimum standards for growing and harvesting commercially-grown produce that are generally eaten fresh or raw.
The Texas Legislature officially designated TDA as the lead agency to implement FMSA’s Produce Safety Rule in 2017.
TDA specialists will call farm owners up to three days in advance to schedule the compliance assessments.
“This doesn’t apply to everybody. It’s going to be a pretty limited number of farms. If you sell less than $25,000 worth of produce a year, you’re exempt,” Miller said.
Growers who sell primarily to end-users via roadside stands or farmers markets and have sales between $25,000 and $500,000 per year may claim a qualified exemption under the Produce Safety Rule. However, these farms are still regulated and must keep records on-farm.
After the assessment and compliance phase is complete, TDA will move into full implementation.
Miller explained farmers know the rules and would not purposefully neglect produce safety.
“Everybody wants their produce to be safe,” Miller said.
For more information on TDA’s Produce Safety program, or to contact a produce safety field outreach specialists, visit TexasAgriculture.gov/TOPS.