Proposed changes to ag water rule topic of MDARD, NASDA webinar

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) will host a North Central Region webinar to discuss the recently released U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rule, “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water.”

The virtual meeting will take place March 2,1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

During the webinar, key FDA officials will provide an overview of the proposed changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule regarding agricultural water use and will be available to answer questions. Produce growers, commodity representatives, and other interested agricultural organizations are encouraged to participate in the webinar to learn about the proposed changes.

The webinar is free and available on a first come, first served basis. No registration is required.

To receive call-in details and/or the Zoom link for this meeting, please contact MDARD Produce Safety Unit Manager Amber Matulis; MDARD Produce Safety Specialist Emily Hollingsworth; or Carol Perrier, NASDA.

For more information on the Proposed Rule on Agricultural Water, please read this fact sheet. Click “en español” for a Spanish translation.

The proposed rule is available for public comment until April 5, 2022. Comments should be submitted to docket FDA-2021-N-0471 on Regulations.gov. Enter FDA-2021-N-0471 in the search bar to bring up the proposed rule and click “comment.”

Visit Michigan.gov/ProduceSafety to access information, resources, and technical assistance on the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.