Probable Issue: Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization ACT (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011 as a response to dramatic changes in the global food system. The Act resulted in fundamental changes to 70-year-old food safety regulations and gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sweeping authority to aggressively prevent foodborne illnesses in every step of the food supply chain.

The FDA finalized seven major rules to implement FSMA, recognizing that ensuring a safe food supply (for both humans and animals) is a shared responsibility among many different points in the global supply chain. The FSMA rules are designed to make clear specific actions that must be taken at each of these points to prevent contamination.

One aspect of FSMA for U.S. producers is the Produce Safety Rule, which intends to establish science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.

Specialty crop growers have always and will continue to meet or exceed the safety standards required to maintain the safety of consumers, however, they question whether imported products are held to the same strict safety standards as those produced domestically. Has FSMA achieved its goal, and if not, what changes should be made?