Arlington, Virginia
NASDA CEO Ted McKinney expressed the organization’s appreciation for FDA’s leadership in releasing the proposed Agricultural Water Rule today and intent to set risk and science-based regulations required by the Food Safety Modernization Act.
“NASDA members have an essential role in implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. For years, NASDA has worked with the nation’s state produce safety programs to build uniform and consistent regulatory programs from the ground up, as we know the safety of our food and water is vital to everyone. NASDA looks forward to sustaining its work with FDA to develop educational tools to assist farmers in complying with the rule once it is finalized and we’ve reviewed all the details,” McKinney said.
NASDA encourages everyone to review the proposed rule and make comments to the Federal Register.
Background
Seven years ago, NASDA developed the NASDA Model Produce Safety Implementation Framework for states to use as a roadmap to implement the Produce Safety Rule. Forty-seven states have developed cooperative programs consistent with the framework. NASDA has also developed an On-Farm Readiness Review process, in conjunction with FDA and Land Grant University Extension services, to offer a voluntary, non-regulatory opportunity to assess a farm’s readiness for FSMA compliance. Learn more about NASDA’s cooperative agreement with FDA on our website.
###
NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances American agriculture through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.
