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Author: Sonia Salas

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WG, AgSafe Offering Workshops to Help Growers Meet FSMA Training Requirements

Western Growers and AgSafe will be hosting a series of produce safety workshops from January through May to assist California growers in meeting the training requirements under the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) produce safety regulation. The produce rule requires companies to employ at least one person who has completed the equivalent of this ...

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FSMA Produce Safety Rule Goes Into Effect January 26

Starting tomorrow, domestic and international produce farms designated as “large” (those with annual sales greater than $500,000) are expected to comply with most provisions of the Produce Safety Rule, a federal law created under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Smaller farms will be phased in over the next few years. The Produce Safety Rule ...

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Preventative Control Regulation for Packinghouses Begins January 26

The new FDA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (officially known as the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food), has been in effect for some food-registered facilities since September 2016. However, certain “large” produce operations that are not considered a “farm” because they are off-farm and have a ...

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WG to Host FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Course

Western Growers will be hosting a Train-the-Trainer FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) course on April 17 – 19, 2018. This course combines the FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Programs participant course with the FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Programs Lead Instructor course. This combination course is coordinated by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance…

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FDA Explains Next Steps in Implementing FSMA in the US and Overseas

January 26 marked the first major compliance date for the Produce Safety Rule, one of the FDA’s new food safety regulations promulgated as result of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FDA has begun distributing information to help impacted growers comply with the new rule that applies to domestic and imported produce.  Last January, the ...

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Are You FSMA Compliant? Upcoming Lunch & Learn Webinar Provides Guidance on Meeting Food Safety Regulations

Join us for our February 26 Lunch & Learn Webinar as food safety experts from FDA’s Produce Safety Network and iDecisionSciences provide an update on FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) compliance, enforcement and resources for produce operations. As a result of FSMA regulations going into effect, the produce sector is now subject to new ...

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WG, AgSafe Now Offering Workshops to Help Growers Meet FSMA Training Requirements

Western Growers and AgSafe will be hosting a series of produce safety workshops to assist California growers in meeting the training requirements under the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) produce safety regulation. The produce rule requires companies to employ at least one person who has completed the equivalent of this eight-hour class. These classes will ...

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Seven Workshops Left to Help Growers Meet FSMA Training Requirements

This month, Western Growers and AgSafe will be hosting the last of their produce safety workshops to assist California growers in meeting the training requirements under the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) produce safety regulation. The FDA’s produce rule requires companies to employ at least one person who has completed the equivalent of this eight-hour ...

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FSMA Implementation Guides, On-Farm Readiness Reviews Now Available

Western Growers has developed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation guides to assist Western Growers member in understanding and complying with the new food safety laws. Members can access the implementation guides for the following rules: Produce Safety Rule: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption. Click here ...

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Two Workshops Available in September on Listeria Best Practices

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the next Listeria monocytogenes Intervention & Control Workshop in Fresno and Monterey, California, in September. Western Growers has partnered with United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association to offer these two workshops. In addition, the California Fresh Fruit Association is joining the partnership for the Fresno…

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Western Growers to Host PSA Train-the-Trainer Class in August

Western Growers is hosting a train-the-trainer course on August 28-29, 2018, in Irvine. This training effort is meant to develop a cadre of trainers able to teach the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course. The U.S.  Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Produce Safety Rule establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing ...

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USDA GAP Audit Now Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, Adding New Service for Fruit & Vegetable Growers

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Plus+ audit program for specialty crops is now accepted as technically equivalent by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). This means that producers who use this audit program now also meet other U.S. and international regulatory and market requirements. “Western ...

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October Lunch & Learn Webinar Details Livestock Facilities Operation and Environmental Controls

With recent attention on the nexus between livestock and fresh produce operations, many questions have arisen about how these facilities are managed, the environmental controls surrounding these operations and some best practices to protect growing regions. To answer these questions, Western Growers has partnered with California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) to present a one-hour webinar on…

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November 1 Lunch & Learn Webinar Prepares Growers for FSMA On-Farm Inspections

In preparation for official Produce Safety Rule on-farm inspections beginning in the spring of 2019, WG members covered by this regulation can request non-regulatory On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRRs). OFRRs are designed to give farmers a better understanding of what they can expect from a routine produce safety inspection. On November 1, Western Growers is hosting ...

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FDA to Hold Public Meetings to Discuss Draft Guidance under FSMA Produce Safety Rule

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a draft guidance document to help farmers better understand what they need to do to meet requirements established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The Draft Guidance for Industry: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption offers recommendations on ...

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November 15 CPS Research Webinar Breaks Down All Things Produce Food Safety

Western Growers is joining forces with the Center for Produce Safety, Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Association to present the CPS Research 2018: Putting Research Into Practice Webinar on November 15 at 1:00 pm ET. Western Growers hosted a webinar on July 2nd to discuss research findings and trends presented at the 2018 CPS ...

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WG to Host FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food Course

In light of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules and provisions being in effect, Western Growers is providing additional training to help the produce industry stay in compliance. The FDA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food rule requires that certain activities must be completed or overseen by a “preventive controls qualified individual.” The Food ...

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FDA and CDC Announce the End of Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak

On January 9, 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provided an update related to the recent outbreak of E.coli 0157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce. CDC declared that this outbreak appears to be over. FDA recommends suppliers and distributors to continue labeling romaine lettuce ...

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FSMA Compliant Grower Course Available in Spanish on February 7 & 27

Strawberry growers and their employees who are interested in learning about produce safety are invited to attend a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training on February 7 in Santa Maria, Calif., or February 27 in Salinas, Calif. These workshops will be delivered in Spanish and are brought to you by the California Strawberry Commission and ...

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FSMA Compliant Grower Course Available in Spanish on February 27 in Salinas

Strawberry growers and their employees who are interested in learning about produce safety are invited to attend a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training on February 27 in Salinas, Calif. The workshop will be delivered in Spanish and is brought to you by the California Strawberry Commission and Western Growers. The PSA Grower Training Course ...

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