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December 19, 2024
Happy Holidays to our PSA Newsletter Subscribers!
As 2024 comes to an end, I want to thank all of you for your engagement with the PSA Team. It is what makes the PSA successful. This is front of my mind right now as we wrap up 10 FSMA Produce Safety Rule Revised Module 5-1 Pre-harvest Agricultural Water Rule Updates that have been hosted in December. This effort required the entire PSA Team to navigate delivery in Spanish and English, develop contact lists for past PSA GT participants, certificate creation and distribution, and lots of troubleshooting, but it is because of the more than 1700 participants that attended, asked questions, and provided their own insights that these were so effective. This example is a good one as the PSA moves into its 15th year of existence in 2025. It has been an amazing journey. I am thankful for every single PSA Team member (past and present). Their care and commitment is unmatched. I am thankful for all of you who have contributed, commented, and critiqued because it has made us better. Thank you. Time is the most precious commodity and I appreciate you sharing it with us. Borrowing from a recent card I received, I wish you all the comfort of friendship, the love of family, and the joy of laughter this holiday season and beyond.
Sincerely,
Betsy Bihn, PSA Director
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FSMA PSR Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Update Webinar Series | |
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In May 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the revised requirements for Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water (Subpart E) in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. The revised Subpart E requirements move from an emphasis on testing pre-harvest water to performing an agricultural water assessment. The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) is hosted 10 (6 in English, 4 in Spanish) update webinars to ensure past PSA Grower Training Course participants understand the new pre-harvest agricultural water requirements. Each two-hour webinar included a presentation of the new requirements and compliance dates, discussion of revised PSA resources, and a walk-through of example scenarios. The remaining time was spent answering questions. Because of the interest in these webinars, more will be hosted in 2025.
These webinars were the next step in our outreach efforts for revised Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water requirements. PSA is developing additional resources to help understand and implement the updated requirements, including a posted recording of Revised Module 5-1, record-keeping templates, videos, and factsheets. These resources will be published on the ‘General Resources’ section of the PSA website when available and highlighted on social media.
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Spanish Translation of Revised Subpart E Agricultural Water | |
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The Spanish translation of Revised Subpart E-Agricultural Water Rule is available in the Spanish PSA web page, under FSMA resources: https://cornell.app.box.com/s/8627emkc8k9721u7olgnc3ovxd6gkpu1. This resource also contains other provisions that were revised along with Subpart E, including §§ 112.3, 112.12, 112.151, and 112.161
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Updated Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Compliance Dates | |
With the new FSMA PSR Subpart E updates came new compliance dates. The up-to-date chart can be found on the PSA website. The only updated dates pertain to Pre-harvest Agricultural Water, all previous compliance dates remain the same. | |
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Upcoming Online PSA Grower Training Courses | |
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There are many online PSA Grower Training opportunities, starting in 2025.
Online delivery course | NY, USA: 1/8/2025 - 1/28/2025
Online delivery course | NY, USA: 2/5/2025 - 2/25/2025
Online delivery course | NY, USA: 2/5/2025 - 2/25/2025
Remember that you can find a full listing of PSA Grower Training Courses, that are being offered publicly on the PSA website: Upcoming PSA Grower Training Courses
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North Central FSMA Regional Center Professional Development
The North Central FSMA Regional Center hosted a successful fall professional development meeting near Detroit, Michigan on October 22 and 23, 2024. In all, 29 produce safety professionals from 9 states attended. PSA participated by providing PSA Updates and helping to plan and deliver presentations and activities related to agricultural water, especially related to revised Subpart E and the continued value of testing as one way to understand the quality of agricultural water. Our Michigan-based hosts also led the group on a series of four farm tours followed by discussions of water use practices that were observed.
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GLEXPO
The PSA Team has dug deeply into the revisions to Subpart E: Agricultural Water that were published in May 2024. PSA was able to represent the science/ extension educators’ perspective at a MSU-hosted round table discussion that also included regulatory perspectives and industry perspectives on the final day of the Great Lakes Expo and Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market (GLEXPO) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Conversation among speaker, panelists, and participant continued until the fire alarm went off! We really appreciated the opportunity to meet GLEXPO attendees and share ideas with colleagues.
North Carolina Professional Development
On December 12, the PSA was invited to present and attend this year’s NC Produce Safety Professional Development Day, hosted at the North Carolina A&T State University Farm Pavilion. This one day conference was aimed to provide a better understanding of the recently finalized Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) pre-harvest water provisions. The PSA provided an overview of the FSMA PSR Pre-Harvest Water Provisions, including new and previously existing requirements of the PSR. Speakers addressed different factors that need to be considered when conducting an FSMA PSR AgWA, which include: the overall water system, agricultural water practices, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, and other relevant factors. This conference provided important information for growers, farm managers, farm food safety personnel, extension agents, produce buyers, farmers market managers, consultants, auditors, and other professionals that work directly with fresh produce growers.
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Produce Industry Virtual Office Hours
Recording from Tuesday, October 15, 2024
12:00 to 1:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)
This session of Produce Industry Virtual Office Hours features Dr. Betsy Bihn, Director of the Produce Safety Alliance, Dept. of Food Science, Cornell University, with an overview of FSMA PSR Revised Subpart E: Agricultural Water. If you were unable to attend the office hours, you can now revisit the presentation on YouTube, linked below.
Produce Industry Virtual Office Hours are hosted in collaboration with the Produce Safety Alliance, the New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, and the IFS@CU.
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