Source: PRESS RELEASE, 8/11/22

Recently, NASDA hosted a significant training session at one of Michigan State University’s research farms. NASDA and its development team, made up of food safety and horticulture specialists from five land grant universities, instructed other state food safety, agricultural and extension specialists on not only how to spot food safety risks on the farm, but also how to communicate those risks to farmers.

Through the state produce safety programs that are cooperating with FDA to implement the Produce Safety Rule, farmers are offered a free, voluntary and confidential educational opportunity to invite a team of these state specialists to teach them how to meet the food safety standards required by the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. NASDA developed this program and calls these educational opportunities, “On Farm Readiness Reviews (OFFRs).”

Oftentimes, one of the food safety specialists conducting On Farm Readiness Reviews is a state food safety inspector while another team member is a university extension specialist. Upholding the value of “education before regulation” and serving as teachers, they equip farmers with new skills to protect their produce from viruses and bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses.

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