“New Jersey is on the forefront of on-farm food-safety,” said John Keller, supervising agricultural products agent for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, based in Trenton, NJ. “When the Food Safety Modernization Act was passed in 2011, farm food-safety shifted from reactive policies and procedures to proactive measures against farm food safety risk.”
The U.S. Congress enacted FSMA in response to dramatic changes in the global food system and the understanding of foodborne illness and its consequences. The NJDA said that includes the realization that preventable foodborne illness is both a significant public health problem and a threat to the economic well-being of the food system. The NJDA added that about 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from foodborne diseases each year, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
Of course, this is not a one-state effort. Keller and other officials emphasize the importance of working together with all states, the federal government and local governments to stay ahead of the curve. “Since the passing of the act, we have worked closely with other states and the federal Food & Drug Administration on creating a nationwide pro-active farm food-safety model to keep consumers safe against foodborne illnesses,” said Keller. “We continue to develop our program in an ever-shifting landscape to meet the needs of the future.”
He added that the NJDA continues to work closely with growers in the Garden State to keep them informed on rules and regulations regarding on-farm food-safety. The New Jersey on-farm produce-safety program was developed as a statewide effort to work with farmers to manage produce-safety risks according to the Food Safety Modernization Produce Safety Rule.
“We work closely with Rutgers University to advise farmers on best practices to keep consumers safe,” said Keller. “In addition to that, we host informational meetings with the grower community so we can inform them about new issues and educate them on the safest way to grow produce. We believe that educating our growers on these things is the best way to create a culture of food safety in the state.”
Also, state officials are clear that food-safety issues are of the utmost importance for the produce safety-industry, which has a responsibility to educate both growers and consumers on safe handling and growing of food. “That is why we continue to work with other states, the FDA, and universities to educate these audiences to ensure that people are consuming food that is safe to eat,” Keller said.
Getting retailers in the state involved is also top of mind and working with them to ensure the safest food supply is an on-going battle. “We have several informational meetings yearly with retailers where we educate them on produce safety and how it affects their businesses,” Keller said. “We also have a website with information about rules and regulations regarding produce safety and information for consumers, growers, and retailers, www.nj.gov/agriculture/producesafety/.
Keller and everyone else involved in food-safety expect the battle to keep the food supply as safe as possible to get even more challenging in the future. But, he said that New Jersey and its growers are up to the challenge and will work with everyone else in the produce industry to ensure that the supply chain is safe and consumers can be confident they are consuming safe food. Of course, he added, a continual educational program is paramount to the success of his efforts.
“As we continue to develop a proactive model for on-farm food-safety, creating a national network of other states and our FDA counterparts will allow us to easily share information and prevent an outbreak that could put consumers at risk.” Keller said. “This is a top priority for the NJDA as well as continuing to educate growers and consumers so we can develop a culture of on-farm food-safety in the future.”
