Resources

The Indiana Department of Health Produce Safety Team works closely with partner agencies to ensure a safe and wholesome produce food supply for Hoosiers.

SafeProduceIN Purdue University

SafeProduceIN is based in Purdue Extension. Purdue University oversees the coordination of Produce Safety Alliance trainings in Indiana.  Indiana Department of Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and Purdue University Extension make up the Safe Produce Indiana team. Together, they provide outreach and education to the state’s fruit and vegetable growers by promoting the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.

Indiana State Department of Agriculture

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s (ISDA) mission is to support growth in Indiana agriculture by serving as an advocate at the local, state, and federal level; defining and nurturing economic opportunity in the food, fuel and fiber sectors; and enhancing the stewardship of natural resources on agricultural land. Through collaboration with IDOH and Purdue Extension, ISDA contributes to this mission by serving as a piece of the SafeProduceIN program. ISDA is responsible for leading SafeProduceIN outreach efforts, coordinating and overseeing On-Farm Readiness Reviews, and assisting with grower educational efforts to enhance FSMA compliance.

Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides the final rule on produce safety regarding the standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption. FDA provides resources to implement these standards.

North Central Region FSMA Center

The North Central Region Center for FSMA Training, Extension, and Technical Assistance works to support the infrastructure of the national food safety program. This is done through communication and coordination of information within the North Central Region related to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule and Preventive Control Rule.

Collaboration in Indiana Serves Produce Growers

Cornell Produce Safety Alliance

The Cornell Produce Safety Alliance is a collaborative project between Cornell University, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They work to provide the produce industry and associated groups with training and educational opportunities related to best good agricultural practices and guidance among other services.

General Resources - FSMA Produce Safety Rule

• 21CFR112 – Standards for the Growing, Harvesting Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (English)
• 21CFR112 – Standards for the Growing, Harvesting Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (Spanish)
• FDA’s Summary of the FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety
• Draft Guidance for Industry: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption
• Indiana Produce Safety Tech Talks with Indiana Farmers Union
• SafeProduceIN promotional video
• Food Safety for Flooded Farms
• FSMA PSR Coverage and Exemptions for Farms with Multiple Business Entities

Inspection Preparation Tools for Indiana Produce Growers

• Pre-Inspection Self-Assessment Form
• What to Expect During an Inspection
• Pre-Inspection Checklist (Minnesota)
• Training required in the Produce Safety Rule

FSMA Produce Safety Rule Coverage and Exemptions

• Standards for Produce Safety- Coverage and Exemptions/Exclusions Flow Chart
• “Am I Covered by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule?”- Interactive Tool for Indiana Produce Farms
• Inflation Calculator
• Indiana Qualified End-User Exemption Worksheet
• FDA Fact Sheet for “Rarely Consumed Raw” Produce

Subpart C- Personnel Qualifications and Training

• Upcoming Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Trainings in Indiana
• Employee Training Videos
  • Fruits, Vegetables, and Food Safety: Health and Hygiene on the Farm (English)
  • Fruits, Vegetables, and Food Safety: Health and Hygiene on the Farm (Spanish)
  • Fruits, Vegetables, and Food Safety: Health and Hygiene on the Farm (Creole)

Subpart D- Health and Hygiene

• Build a Low-Cost Handwashing Station (University of Minnesota)
• Health and Hygiene Posters for Farms
  • When Must Hands Be Washed (English)
  • When Must Hands Be Washed (Spanish)
  • Worker Illness (English)
  • Worker Illness (Spanish)
  • U-Pick Visitors Dos and Don’ts

Subpart E- Agricultural Water

• FDA Proposed Rule on Agricultural Water
• Agricultural Water Assessment Fact Sheet
• Interactive Agricultural Water Assessment Builder
• Factors to Consider as Part of Agricultural Water Assessment
• Indiana Water Testing Laboratories
• FDA Fact Sheet- Equivalent Testing Methodology for Agricultural Water
• Online Calculator to Help Growers Determine Their Microbial Water Quality Profile (University of Arizona)
• Geometric Means, Statistical Threshold Values, and Microbial Die-Off Rates (Produce Safety Alliance)
• Paper-based versions of the agricultural water assessment builder tool:
  • Agricultural Water Assessment Builder (English)
  • Constructor de Evaluación de Agua de Uso Agricola (Spanish)

Subpart F- Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin and Human Waste

• FDA Fact Sheet- Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin
• FSMA Produce Safety Rule: Documentation Requirements for Commercial Soil Amendment Suppliers

Subpart I – Domesticated and Wild Animals

• FSMA Produce Safety Rule: Dealing with Wildlife
• USDA NRCS Resources to Co-manage Conservation and Food Safety

Subpart K- Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding Activities

• FDA Fact Sheet- Dropped Covered Produce (English)
• FDA Fact Sheet- Dropped Covered Produce (Spanish)

Subpart L- Equipment, Tools, Buildings and Sanitation

• Cleaning vs. Sanitizing (Produce Safety Alliance)
• Introduction to Selecting an EPA-Labeled Sanitizer (Produce Safety Alliance)

Subpart O- Record Keeping

• Records Required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (Produce Safety Alliance)
• Record Templates in Microsoft Word Format (Produce Safety Alliance)

General Produce Safety Resources

• History of Produce Safety (United Fresh)
• Guidance on Environmental Monitoring and Control of Listeria for the Fresh Produce Industry (United Fresh)
• Guidelines for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Small to Medium Scale Packing and Fresh-cut Operations (UC Davis)
• Introduction to Waterborne Pathogens in Agricultural Watersheds PDF, 3612.34 KB (USDA NRCS)
• Protecting Wells with Sanitary Well Caps and Grouting (Penn State)
• How to Use and Monitor Chlorine in Fruit & Vegetable Wash Water and Food Contact Surfaces (University of Tennessee and North Carolina State University)
• Using Peroxyacetic Acid (PAA) in Fruit and Vegetable Washing and Packing (University of Tennessee)