The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which became law in 2011, is the most sweeping overhaul of our federal food safety laws in seven decades. The law includes seven sets of regulations, including the Produce Safety Rule that governs the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce grown for human consumption. As FSMA rules have been rolled out for businesses of different sizes, farmers and food producers have questions about this new regulatory landscape and may face drastic penalties if they fail to comply.
The Extension Legal Services Initiative helps to answer legal questions brought on by these changes. Launched in late 2019, this project conducts legal research and develops educational materials to understand and answer stakeholders’ most common questions about FSMA compliance.
