The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published an updated compliance guide for small food entities regarding the preharvest agricultural water requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

The guidance aims to assist small entities in complying with the revised requirements related to preharvest agricultural water for covered produce (other than sprouts) under the Produce Safety Rule. Updates made to the guidance reflect changes made to the Produce Safety Rule in the May 2024 final rule, “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water,” also known as the Preharvest Agricultural Water final rule.

Compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts) begin on April 7, 2025, with date staggering based on farm size.