Author: Paul Vijayakumar
Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences
Major Program: Local Food System Development and Mapping
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a federal law transforming the nation’s food safety system. The “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption”, aka “Produce Safety Rule (PSR),” establishes for the first time, science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. The rule is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The final rule went into effect January 26, 2016. Growers need to attend PSA Grower training in order to fulfill FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulatory requirement. The FSMA Produce Safety Rule requires at least one supervisor or responsible party from the farm complete a food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by FDA conducted by qualified trainers. Dr. Paul Priyesh Vijayakumar the PSA lead trainer for the state conducted 6 PSA grower trainings from July 2019- June 2020 across the state of Kentucky. 113 participants, which included growers from the Amish and Mennonite population successfully completed the program.
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