Helena, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
“These funds will be a great resource to help us train and educate producers on federal food safety requirements,” said MDA Director Ron de Yong. “We encourage all individuals and organizations engaged in selling produce to learn more about FSMA regulations and to work with the Department as we develop this program.”
The funds will allow MDA to train Montana producers and help them comply with newly implemented federal food safety regulations. In addition to helping producers comply with FSMA, the trainings will also help them meet the standards required by institutional food buyers. MDA hopes to begin offering the trainings no later than Fall 2017. You can find more information by visiting: http://agr.mt.gov/agr/Programs/FoodSafety/
The purpose of this funding is to establish a Produce Safety Program to encourage the safe production of fresh fruits and vegetables and to promote compliance with the requirements of FDA’s Produce Safety Rule. Improving produce safety will help states better direct food safety and regulatory activities aimed at reducing foodborne illness hazards. The Produce Safety Rule was published as one of several implementing rules of FSMA in November 2015. The rule goes into effect for the largest farms in January 2018.
The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit www.agr.mt.gov.
Source: Montana Department of Agriculture
