Safety Culture in the News

Safety Culture in the News

New Jersey Department of Agriculture has strong commitment to food safety

theproducenews.com/new-jerse…

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s division of marketing and development is one of the leaders in the United States in implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

In fact, the department has conducted 225 on-farm inspections and 95 on-farm readiness reviews so far this year.

“The department also performs USDA GAP/GHP, Harmonized, and Harmonized Plus audits. These audits review food-safety plans, records, documentation, procedures and practices of farms, storages, and distribution centers of fresh produce,” said NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher.

“In any year, the department performs over 300 audits and inspections throughout the state,” he said.

The NJDA, in cooperation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, The Northeast Center for Advanced Food Safety, FDA, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, continues to develop educational and outreach programs to educate the produce industry on food safety.