DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) Food Products Inspection was granted statutory authority on June 11, 2019 to enforce compliance with the Produce Safety Rule in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The Food Safety Modernization Act is a proactive approach to prevent foodborne illnesses by strengthening the food supply.

These regulations, 3 Del. C. § 101(1), (3) & (5), establish procedures for farm registration; produce inspection; on-farm produce and environmental sampling; and addressing non-compliance of regulated farms. Specifically, the new regulations address the following:

• Requires all Delaware farms that grow produce to register with DDA.
• Allows DDA personnel to enter any farm or facility that grows, harvests, packs, or holds produce for human consumption to conduct inspections, request and review records, and secure and test samples as needed to verify compliance with the Produce Safety Rule.

These regulations are meant to support Delaware’s mission to implement the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Produce Safety Rule, under FDA authority. For additional information on the Produce Safety Rule, to access education and outreach resources, or to register a farm, visit https://de.gov/producesafety.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov

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