Tree Fruit Farmers Worry About Costs To Meet FDA Safety Rules

The Washington Post (4/9, Dennis, 489K) reports that the US Food and Drug Administration, “wrestling to put in place a massive overhaul of the nation’s food safety system, drew a line this year when proposing which fruits and vegetables would be subject to strict new standards” under the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act. 

Growers, who are “subject to the new produce rules could face a variety of new responsibilities, including regular testing of irrigation water, sanitizing canvas fruit-picking bags and keeping animals away from crops.” Many tree fruit farmers, who are concerned “about the cost” of meeting the new standards “argue that the FDA should focus more on foods that have caused deadly outbreaks, such as spinach and cantaloupes, and less on fruits that have a virtually flawless safety record, grow above the ground and, in some cases, have protective skins or rinds.”