For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 20,
2015
Contact: Ron Dyer, 287-7522
Food Safety
Modernization Act
information page
for farmers and food businesses
Information on the most significant change in food
safety in 50 years
AUGUSTA – Officials at the Maine Department of
Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF) have announced that a new Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) information webpage has been created for
farmers and food producers seeking information on significant federal changes
to food safety regulations.
"Although the US Congress passed sweeping federal law
changes 4 years ago, the rules that actually impact farmers are still being
developed in Washington, DC," said Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “This dedicated
page on the DACF website provides food producers access to the most recent
proposals as they are promulgated. FSMA is designed to prevent food borne
illness by focusing on preventative controls and we want that information
available as fast as possible. Because of the
impact these federal changes will have on farmers and food businesses, we are taking
steps to help ensure everyone has the latest information.”
The new FSMA page
created by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will provide
up-to-date information as changes occur and focus on how these changes will
affect farmers and businesses. Users may utilize a tool on the site to assess any
potential FSMA impact on their farm or food business. They can also sign up for
email alerts as new information is released.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
The Federal Food Safety
Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in 2011, is the first significant
overhaul of food safety regulations since the 1930s and was designed to prevent
food borne illness. FSMA will be implemented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and relevant state agencies.
In December 2014, FDA
concluded the second of two comment periods on draft rules it has written to
implement the law. There are seven FSMA rules covering everything from human
food to pet food to imports to transportation.
Will FSMA Affect You?
The webpage has a useful
flowchart, developed by the National
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, that helps
farms and food businesses figure which rules apply to them and how.
The FSMA Reproposal
During the first public
comment period in 2013, tens of thousands of farmers and others expressed many
concerns about the produce rule impacting farms and the preventive controls
rule impacting facilities that manufacture, process, pack and hold food. FDA
agreed to revise specific parts of the rules to offer alternatives for
provisions that raised the most concern.
Maine DACF Commissioner
Walt Whitcomb and the Department hosted a listening session with FDA officials
from Washington D.C. and took them to see real Maine farms during August 2013.
These sessions and farm visits provided significant input to FDA's draft rules.
FSMA Updates
The Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Quality Assurance and
Regulations will continue to monitor FDA rule making and provide information at
this site about FSMA next steps, including the final rules, implementation
information and compliance dates, training opportunities, and whatever else
small farms and food producers in Maine need to know.
The new Department FSMA Page is located at: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/qar/fsma/
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