The new FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water may seem like a lot to swallow, but we at the MIOFPS team are here to help you along the way by providing assistance and resources to make it more digestible.
The FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water was published in early May of this year and makes a shift from the previous microbial quality criteria and water testing requirements to a more holistic approach of completing an agricultural water assessment that examines the farm’s entire water system. It will require growers to identify risks on the farm that could be likely to introduce hazards onto produce or food contact surfaces.
Examples of what a grower would assess includes but is not limited to: the location of the water source, how the water source is distributed, the degree to which the water system is protected from possible sources of contamination, the type of application method, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, and other relevant factors. The earliest compliance date for covered farms that are categorized as a “large farm” is April 7, 2025, followed by April 6, 2026, for “small farms”, and April 5, 2027, for “very small farms”.
The entire 72 page rule can be found here, but for growers who may not want to read the entire rule or don’t have time to during the peak growing season, there are many other ways that you can get informed about the rule and learn what you may have to do on your farm going forward! The most effective way to get informed is to call your local Produce Safety Technician and schedule an On Farm Readiness Review with them, as this will be one on one advice tailored directly to your farm, in a free, voluntary, and confidential format. During the OFRR your local tech will go through what an agricultural water system assessment looks like with you so you can see firsthand what the new rule is going to look like for you on your farm. Keeping up with the MIOFPS newsletter is the next best way to stay informed as we continue to learn more about the rule and put out helpful information in an easy-to-read format.
Other ways to get informed on the new rule requirements can be found below:
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Article by Allissa Conley, Produce Safety Technician