Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/616629
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JANUARY 1, 2016 27 Very small growers — those with less than $250,000 in annual produce sales — will have four years from Jan. 26, 2016, the day the rule goes into effect, to comply with most provisions in the Produce Safety Rule. Growers with $250,000 to $500,000 in sales will have three years to comply, and all others will have two years. However, growers will be given an additional two years to meet the water quality standards because of concerns about the difficulty that growers may have in meeting these new requirements. Woods said once the industry has finished analyzing the rule and has a better idea of exactly what will be required, growers should start looking at their operations to see if changes need to be made. The FDA is preparing guidance documents, but it's not known when they will be issued. Packers The other FSMA rule that will have a significant impact on the tree fruit industry is the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule. Some fresh fruit packers might fall under the Produce Safety Rule if most of the fruit they pack comes from company-owned orchards, though the loca- tion of the orchards is also a factor. However, if most of the fruit comes from outside growers, the packer will likely fall under the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule instead. This could lead to some confusion at first, Woods said. Packers who handle fruit from their own orchards and from other growers will need to determine which rule applies to them. This also applies to storage facilities. The FDA issued the final version of the Preventive Controls Rule in September 2015. It's a document of more than 900 pages that industry representatives are still analyzing in order to understand the implications. One thing's certain: It will require more paperwork from packers to document their use of safe practices. Each packer will need to identify food-safety hazards in their facility and how to address them. An industry- wide approach won't work, Woods said, because each packing facility has different points where there might be vulnerabilities and different solutions that might be best to address them. "There's information we can provide, but I don't think there's going to be a cut-and-dried plan that's going to work industrywide," she said. "There's certainly going to have to be science and data and research provided to assist packing houses to address these concerns." Woods said Pacific Northwest fruit packers won't have to duplicate what they're already doing for third-party auditors or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Good Handling Practices, but there will likely be additional requirements that will take additional time and resources at first. Produce industry organizations, such as the Northwest Horticultural Council, Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association are all still analyzing the Preventive Controls Rule to find out exactly what it will mean for packers. Very small businesses, with less than $1 million in annual sales, will need to comply with the Preventive Controls Rule by September 2018. Small businesses, those with fewer than 500 full-time equivalent staff, will have to comply by September 2017. All others will need to comply by September 2016. The FDA will publish guidance documents specific to fresh produce packing that should provide more information on how the FDA will interpret the rules, but Woods said it's not known when those will be available. Training Woods said there should be plenty of training oppor- tunities for growers and packers. The Produce Safety Alliance at Cornell University in New York will offer train-the-trainer courses for people interested in train- ing growers on how to meet the Produce Safety Rule requirements. FDA has been working with the alliance to develop the curriculum. Industry associations, including United, PMA and the Washington State Tree Fruit Association are working on education and training efforts for producers. Since the FDA has no experience with regulating on-farm prac- tices, the agency will probably also work with states to implement and enforce the rules, though that's not yet been announced. • © 2016, Trécé Inc., Adair, OK USA • TRECE, PHEROCON and CIDETRAK are registered trademarks of Trece, Inc., Adair, OK USA PLEASE: ALWAYS READ THE LABEL The Mating Disruption System for both MALE… and FEMALE Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella INSEC T PHEROMONE & KAIROMONE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED ® Your Edge – And Ours – Is Knowledge. Contact your local supplier and order now. Visit our website: www.trece.com or call 1- 866 -785-1313. CIDETRAK ® CMDA COMBO ™ MESO ™ mating disruption dispensers contain a unique combination of Codling Moth pheromone AND a patented male AND female behavior modifying kairomone called DA. Designed to deliver long-lasting performance with remarkably fast application for apples and pears. CIDETRAK ® CMDA COMBO ™ MESO ™ dispenser in use • What it does: The DA kairomone enhances the eect of the Codling Moth pheromone on male mating disruption. And, initiates female mating disruption through behavior changes in the female resulting in oviposition disruption, less mating, higher virginity and lower damage. • How to use it: Fast hanging design, clips easily and securely onto branches, and eliminates lateral branch scarring. • Longevity: Long-lasting performance. TRE-0842, 12/15