FDA, AMS Align Food Safety Programs
The Food and Drug Administration and the Agricultural Marketing Service aligned food safety oversight programs in order to "streamline produce safety requirements for farmers," the FDA said in a recent news release. AMS will align its Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices…
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Audit Program with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule (see 1511170024). "While the requirements of both programs are not identical, the relevant technical components in the FDA Produce Safety Rule are covered in the USDA H-GAP Audit Program," FDA said. The audit program "is a collaborative effort on the part of growers, shippers, produce buyers, audit organizations and government agencies," it said. The audits "are not a substitute for FDA or state regulatory inspections" but "will help farmers by enabling them to assess their food safety practices as they prepare to comply with the Produce Safety Rule," FDA said. The AMS also released a list of frequently asked questions on the alignment.