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Do I Need to Comply with the FSMA Produce Rule?

The following tool is for determining whether or not you need to comply with the Produce Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and by what date you need to comply.

Para ver contenido similar en español de la National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (Coalición Nacional de Agricultura Sustentable), hacer click aqui.

 

Please note the following:

  1. "Covered" vs. "Not Covered": Throughout this tool and in other FSMA Produce Rule literature, you will see the language "covered" vs. "not covered". If your farm needs to comply with FSMA, it is considered a "covered" farm; if your farm does not need to comply, it is considered "not covered". Additionally, certain crops on a given farm may be covered by the rule while other crops on the same farm are not covered.
  2. Cut-Off Values: The cut-off values for determining whether your farm is covered or not and whether or not your farm is qualified exempt are based on 2011 monetary values and will be updated annually in this tool for inflation. Last updated April 14, 2023. For more information, please visit the FDA website for FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut-Offs.
Exempt commodities, or commodities that are ‘rarely consumed raw’ are: Asparagus, beans (black, great Northern, kidney, lima, navy, pinto), garden beets (roots and tops), sugar beets, cashews, chickpeas, cocoa beans, coffee beans, collards, cranberries, dates, dill (seeds and weed), eggplants, figs, ginger, hazelnuts, horseradish, lentils, okra, peanuts, pecans, peppermint, potatoes, pumpkins, sour cherries, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, water chestnuts, and winter squash.
This cut-off was set at $25,000 in 2011 and is adjusted annually for inflation. This includes all produce, processed and raw.
This cut-off was set at $500,000 in 2011 and is adjusted annually for inflation. This includes produce, grains, meat, animals, eggs, milk, and packed or processed food products or animal feed products.
Produce is defined as any fruit or vegetable, including mushrooms, sprouts, peanuts, tree nuts, and herbs.
A qualified end-user is the consumer of the food, or a restaurant/retail food establishment that sells directly to the consumer.
The above cut-offs are used only for determining compliance dates and are not adjusted annually for inflation.

Produce for personal/on-farm consumption is not covered by the FSMA Produce Rule, so you do not need to comply with the rule.


Click here for general food safety information for farmers.

Contact information:
Lisa McKeag
UMass Extension Educator
(413) 577-3976
lmckeag@umass.edu