The New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Marketing and Development is continuing to move forward on the food-safety front.

During the 2014 growing season, the Division performed 78 Third Party Food Safety audits on farms, packinghouses, and shipping facilities throughout New Jersey. That is almost a 25 percent increase from the 2013 season.

The Third Party Audit program is currently voluntary in conjunction with the USDA GAP/GHP, and the Harmonized audits.

Auditors are trained by the USDA and must attend annual refresher classes, and maintain 20 hours of professional development each year.

In March, the department hosted a Harmonized audit class in Columbus, NJ. The extensive training was a week long, and the department benefited by adding eight new auditors. NJDA now has 11 licensed auditors ready to serve the New Jersey agricultural community.

The NJDA continues to prepare the auditing staff for the challenges the agricultural community faces as the Food Safety Modernization Act rapidly approaches. During the past off season, the Division worked with Rutgers Cooperative Extension Food Safety in training growers, packers, and shippers in the concepts of food safety.

In March, the Department hosted more than 50 farmers, retailers, educators and regulatory officials from New Jersey and Delaware’s produce industry for a information session to discuss the impending implementation of FSMA.

The session, sponsored by the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture and presented by the New Jersey and Delaware Departments of Agriculture, was aimed at further spreading the word to farmers about the looming FSMA mileposts.

The first four FDA rules to implement the law — including the Produce Safety regulation, the one most likely to affect farmers — are expected to be finalized in October 2015 and then move quickly to an implementation phase.

During sessions like this, a new line of communications was developed between the Bureau of Inspection and Grading and the participants in the Third Party Food Safety Audit program. This will enhance the participation of all parties involved in the program, and develop the common goal of fresh, reliable, and safe produce from the Garden State.

As the 2015 growing season is upon us, the department is already well under way performing audits.

Those with questions or wanting to schedule an audit may contact the Bureau of Inspection and Grading at (856) 453-3870.

Christian Kleinguenther, NJDA Division of Marketing and Development.