On July 31, a letter about the progress made thus far on the Produce Safety Rule mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was published by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. The letter was specifically targeted toward state agricultural commissioners, secretaries, and directors, emphasizing that he is committed to communicating with state agriculture leaders about the ongoing work that is taking place to successfully implement the produce rule.
The letter covers updates in the areas of rule-making and implementation preparedness. Below are a few excerpts that specifically relate to the Produce Safety Rule, and food safety in general.