Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water

The Food and Drug Administration is issuing a final rule to amend the agricultural water provisions of the produce safety regulation. This rule replaces the microbial criteria and testing requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water for covered produce (other than sprouts) with a regulatory approach that incorporates recent science and Food and Drug Administration outbreak investigation findings to achieve improved public health protections as compared to the earlier requirements. The rule requires systems-based assessments, with required testing in certain circumstances, that focus on key risk factors for contamination by pre-harvest agricultural water and will enable farms to implement effective preventive measures. The rule requires farms to take timely action based on risk and includes a new requirement for expedited mitigation for certain hazards. The requirements are adaptable to future scientific advancements and provide sufficient flexibility to be practicable for all sizes and types of farms to implement across the wide variety of agricultural water systems, uses, and practices. These revisions to the produce safety regulation will more comprehensively address a known route of microbial contamination that can lead to preventable foodborne illness that is a significant public health problem.