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Jackson, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce’s (MDAC) Produce Safety Division completed the state’s first On-Farm Readiness Reviews and regulatory inspections under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule in May and June of 2019.
The Produce Safety Rule is one of the seven rules comprising the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into federal law on January 4, 2011. In March of 2018, the Mississippi Legislature gave MDAC the authority to form its own division and conduct state inspections to ensure that ready to eat produce meets certain food safety standards.
“While Produce Safety Division staff are committed to ensuring safe fruits and vegetables, we are also just as committed to helping farmers comply with these new rules,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson.
MDAC has partnered with Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University Extension Services to assist in conducting educational trainings and On-Farm Readiness Reviews. On-Farm Readiness Reviews are an educational opportunity intended to show producers what an actual inspection would look like, prior to an official inspection being conducted. These reviews are provided by MDAC at no cost to producers.
For more information on the Produce Safety Rule and On-Farm Readiness Reviews, please visit producesafety.mdac.ms.gov.
