Growers/GAPs

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California has declared a state of emergency as the current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) continues to sweep North American dairy herds.

The Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Rule amends existing provisions within the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule, representing a shift from strict microbial quality criteria to a nuanced, systems-based assessment approach, intended to support food safety by addressing contamination risks through an adaptive, comprehensive framework.

The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s latest Antibiotic Stewardship report showed significant decreases in antibiotic use for broiler chickens and turkeys between 2013 and 2023, with the proportion of broiler chickens receiving antibiotics in hatcheries dropping from 90 percent to less than 1 percent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched its five-part National Milk Testing Strategy to monitor and address Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) in milk and dairy herds. A new Federal Order and accompanying guidance has been issued. 

Setting a new a new precedent for preharvest food safety interventions, the first-ever registration of an antimicrobial treatment for foodborne pathogens in preharvest agricultural water has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In an effort to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, researchers at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) are developing a tool to help farmers choose the most effective and sustainable crop protection approaches for their unique operations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Purdue University are launching a multi-year environmental study of Salmonella in the Southwest Indiana agricultural region to answer questions raised by recent outbreaks linked to cantaloupe and to inform food safety strategies. 

On November 12–13, the Penn State Extension is offering a virtual course to help produce growers comply with Produce Safety Rule requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The option to receive a certificate of completion is available.

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the University of Maine recently held a workshop convening researchers, state partners, and other experts to identify research needs and solutions for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination on farms.

Domestic sales of medically important antibiotics for use in food-producing chicken, turkey, cattle, and swine fell by 2 percent in 2023, according to the latest report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).