In a recent statement directed toward produce farmers, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb introduced new steps for the farming community to follow when trying to comply with food-safety requirements. Gottlieb highlighted several rules farmers must adhere to as a direct result of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which establishes science-based standards for the safe harvest of produce.
“Because of the way produce is grown, handled, and consumed … it can become contaminated with food-borne pathogens that may make consumers sick,” Gottlieb said in the statement. “Farmers understand the importance of food safety when they grow their crops.”
Iowa State University Extension food-safety educator Dan Fillius said the ultimate goal of the food-safety act and its preceding laws is to keep such pathogens as E. coli or salmonella from spreading: “I don’t remember as many produce-related disease outbreaks growing up as I have seen in the last 15 years. The FDA sees this pattern.”
Although the FDA is responsible for enforcement of the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls Rule, Gottlieb emphasized the agency’s commitment to providing training and other support to farmers.
Source: dailyiowan.com
