FDA, USDA, Cornell Form Produce Safety Alliance

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Cornell University have formed the new Produce Safety Alliance, a 3-year, $1.15-million partnership to help produce growers and packers access on-farm food-safety educational materials. The alliance is funded by FDA and USDA and will be housed at Cornell University through a grant from AMS.

Next year, FDA is expected to issue a proposed rule on the safe production, harvesting and packing of produce. The alliance is aimed at giving produce growers and packers training and educational materials and opportunities to learn about current risk-and science-based best food-safety practices, and future regulatory requirements.

The alliance will develop a standardized, multi-formatted and multilingual education program on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management; create an information bank of up-to-date scientific and technical information related to on-farm and packinghouse produce safety, environmental co-management, and eventually the FDAs proposed produce safety rule; launch a website to make its work and information readily accessible; establish a network of educational collaborators; conduct an assessment of existing educational outreach tools to identify knowledge gaps and to provide for continuous updating; and work with partners on the steering committee and others to develop and deliver train-the-trainer materials and sessions.

As we traveled around the country listening to growers and packers and soliciting their comments even before we propose a produce safety rule, we have committed ourselves to just this kind of collaborative effort," said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael R. Taylor. We also know that small growers and packers are especially interested in the kind of hands-on training and support envisioned by the alliance."

The alliance will include representatives from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), land grant universities, growers and shippers, produce trade organizations, and the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service, joining FDA, AMS and Cornell officials on the steering committee.

The alliance is another sign of our commitment to working with growers and packers and our federal partners at FDA to make certain that our marketplace is economically strong and provides American families the safe, fresh produce they need for healthy diets," said Ann Wright, Deputy Under Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA.