Food Safety
Food Safety Basics
FSMA Compliance Flowchart
Article + Download
45 min read
Food Safety Insurance
Farmers’ Guide to Food Safety Insurance
Article + Download
30 min read
Insurance for Food Safety Liability on Direct Market Farms
Video
1 minutes
Food Safety Risk & Liability
Farmers’ Guide to Food Safety Liability
Article + Download
60 min read
Farmers’ Guide to Food Safety Liability: WI
Article + Download
60 min read
Food Safety Liability and Regulations: FSMA and Beyond
Video
81 minutes
Farmers’ Guide to Food Safety Liability: ID, MT, and WA
Book
12 chapters
Food Safety Questions:
Do I have to comply with FSMA?
When it comes to the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls Rule, you need answers.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) can feel like a giant to contend with and many farmers scratch their heads wondering how to move forward. Many small-scale producers and diversified operations receive special exemptions from the general compliance obligations of FSMA. But, the rules are tricky – it took the FDA four years to finalize its own rules!
What are the GAP standards and do I have to comply with them?
GAP Standards can be no less confusing than FSMA – another food safety rule, another acronym…Many farmers are left wondering what the difference is and what this “GAP” is all about. GAP stands for “Good Agricultural Practices” and it is a voluntary audit program for food safety. (Although it’s technically voluntary, your buyers may require your participation as a term of selling to them.) To learn more, check out our free resource, Checklist for Managing Your Food Safety Liability, which includes information about GAP standards. For more detailed information about GAP standards, see our comprehensive Farmers’ Guide to Food Safety Liability (pgs. 13-15) to learn how GAP (and its relative GHP) fits into food safety overall.
How do I protect myself from the legal ramifications of a food safety crisis on my farm?
No farmer wants their customers to get sick from food they produced. But, even the safest, most food safety conscious farmer can find themselves linked to a food safety incident. Check out our free resource, Managing Food Safety Liability Risk Basics, which answers the most frequently asked questions around food safety issues on the farm.
Also check out another free resource, Checklist for Managing Your Food Safety Liability, which identifies 12 key ways to manage food safety liability on your farm. One key strategy is to adopt and implement a food safety plan and to review it annually. You can also listen to our free 18min. Podcast Episode Eight: Let’s Have Lunch!For some food safety liability prevention tips including tips direct from farmers.
What kind of food safety liability insurance do I need?
You know you need it. Answers to where and how are here.
Insurance, insurance, insurance. Is this all we ever talk about here at Farm Commons? It can feel like that, but it’s just that important that we mention it over and over again. The thing about food safety issues is that you can’t just assume your run-of-the-mill insurance policy covers you for these. Making sure you are property covered requires some focused time and attention.
How do cottage food laws work?
If you’re scratching your head wondering, “What in the world are Cottage Food Laws?” and picturing people in the 1800s rolling out dough and cooking soup in giant cauldrons over a wood burning stove, you’re not alone. Cottage food laws sound quaint and cute but in reality, they refer to the different laws each state has (or doesn’t have) regarding when people can make food in their home kitchens for sale to others without the usual, thorough rules that accompany each state’s food code. This is a changing landscape, with many people pushing for “Food Freedom Laws” and getting up to speed on these laws can be a real challenge.
What types of food safety permits and licenses do I need?
The answer to this question really depends what type of food you have on offer, whether it is in raw form or processed, and where and under what circumstances you will be selling it.
Generally speaking, the sale of agricultural products in their raw and unprocessed form does not require any food safety permits or licenses, per se. However, the regulations of the Food Safety Modernization Act may apply, so we recommend exploring our pathway Do I have to comply with FSMA?