Aug 2, 2024

Editor’s Letter: New food safety rules affect water, crop handling

This year is flying by. It’s hard to believe summer’s almost gone. With harvesting and plantings for fall harvests, there’s so much on growers’ plates.

Growers and others in the supply chain work hard to ensure they grow, harvest and ship safe food that won’t spark a recall or incident that sickens the consumers who purchase the fruits of growers’ fields.

Food safety

The month of May brought a big change to the Produce Safety Rule. The FDA updated agricultural water requirements, which were published in the Federal Register.

Similar to proposed revisions published in 2021, the changes affect pre-harvest water (agricultural water used during growing non-sprout covered produce), according to the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA), a collaboration between Cornell University, USDA and FDA.

Some of the factors growers should consider in the changes include location and nature of the water source (whether groundwater or surface water) and the type of application method (such as overhead sprinkler or spray, drip, furrow, flood and seepage irrigation). 

PSA recommends growers check the FDA’s FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water website for current information.

Food safety is the focus of this issue of Fruit Growers News.

Worker training and food handling safety

In this issue, we cover the first line of defense, the importance of worker training crucial to food handling safety.

FSMA: postharvest handling and sanitation considerations

To learn how FSMA requirements affect postharvest handling and sanitation, read the article on postharvest considerations that shows growers how to track the flow of produce from the field through the packing facility, the start of a food safety risk assessment.

Fresh Views

Our new column, Fresh Views, written by Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty honorees, continues to add great insight.

Lenny Burger, of the five generation Pennsylvania Burger’s Farm, discusses how keeping on top of all the paperwork involved in running a farm, including food safety documentation, is a priority for family members who are hands-on involved in everything about the farm.

The FGN August 2024 issue is now available in print and digital format.