Feb 25, 2016

California Avocado Commission releases guide to FSMA

The California Avocado Commission has published a synopsis of new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations as a guide for California avocado growers.

On Jan. 26, FSMA became law. Most growers will have two (or more) years to demonstrate compliance as determined by size of business, the commission said. The synopsis compares the new regulations with provisions in the commission’s current Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program.

Here’s more from the California Avocado Commission:

Based on our review it appears if a grower is GAP certified a majority of FSMA requirements will be met. One area where growers will have to do more is in water testing frequency. It also seems clear that the harvest of windfall fruit will no longer be an option once FSMA is fully implemented. We will work in the future to revise the GAP program to fully reflect the FSMA requirements.

To view the commission’s FSMA guide, visit the California Avocado Commission website.