Safety remains job one at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture

Seth Mendelson

June 16, 2025

njda Produce safety has always been at the forefront of the activities at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

The department has several programs in place to evaluate its New Jersey-grown produce as well as produce grown in other states and imported from other countries. Its auditors, inspectors and retail reviewers receive extensive ongoing training to remain current with federal and industry standards. In addition, consistent implementation of its programs ensures that produce in New Jersey has met or exceeded USDA, FDA and Jersey Fresh standards.

According to Elizabeth Stiles, an agricultural products agent for the NJDA, the department maintains a team of trained produce safety rule inspectors that conduct FDA PSR inspections to assess compliance with FDA standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption, as required by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

She said that these inspections are mandatory for covered farms growing covered produce (produce which is normally eaten raw) and are scheduled using an FDA model for risk assessment. The inspectors operate under FDA jurisdiction to inspect covered farms and evaluate implementation of the farm’s food safety policy, with an emphasis on preventive measures for pathogens of human health significance, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria.

Stiles said that NJDA Agricultural Agents conduct USDA Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices and Harmonized (GAP+) audits at farms, cold storages, packing facilities and brokerage firms to evaluate their food safety practices. These audits are for the field activities, the packing and storage facilities. Both audits and PSR Inspections evaluate farm food safety practices.

The NJDA Bureau of Inspection and Grading annually performs thousands of USDA fruit and vegetable inspections of imported and domestic produce at warehouses, cold storages and distribution centers to ensure that produce is meeting USDA quality Grade Standards.

“The inspectors are evaluating the quality and condition of the produce,” Stiles said. “If produce does not meet USDA standards, it may be repacked or dumped. The Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program provides a consistent supply of high-quality produce for distribution to consumers.”

She noted that Jersey Fresh is an advertising and promotional program that showcases the quality and availability of New Jersey grown produce. “All produce is inspected and must be U.S. No. 1 or better, so you know you are getting the best produce available,” she said. “As the website states local food tastes better, local produce is better for you, eating local is better for the environment, local food supports local families, and local food supports open space, preserving the agricultural landscape.”

Another service offered to consumers is conducting USDA Country of Origin Labeling retail reviews in New Jersey supermarkets and club stores. “COOL is a labeling law that requires retailers to notify their customers of the country where produce, chicken, some meats, fish and shellfish and certain nuts were grown, as well as the production steps for chicken and certain meats (born/hatched, raised, harvested) and method of production for fish and shellfish (wild or farmed),” Stiles added.

The newest focus is now on the FDA Traceability Rule, which establishes additional recordkeeping requirements for manufacturing, processing, packing and holding of foods on the Food Traceability List. The FTL includes certain types of cheese, shell eggs, nut butters, finfish, crustaceans and molluscan shellfish. Produce included on the list are cucumbers, herbs, leafy greens, melons, peppers, sprouts, tomatoes, tropical tree fruits, and cut herbs, fruits and vegetables. Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements will allow for faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from commerce, and result in fewer cases of foodborne illnesses and deaths.

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