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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million individuals get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States. Outbreaks are regularly associated with fresh fruits and vegetables, and farmers need to implement risk prevention strategies to grow quality produce. New Jersey farms growing vegetables had sales of over $295 million in 2022. Farms growing fresh produce need to be in compliance with the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (FSMA PSR) and often must comply with buyer required third-party food safety audits. Rutgers responds to these educational and technical assistance needs by providing the following:
- One-on-one farm visits to determine risk reduction practices appropriate for individual farms
- Research to determine appropriate risk reduction practices for this growing region
- Industry needs assessments to determine programmatic offerings
- Training specific to wholesale buyer requirements
- FSMA PSR compliance training regionally throughout the state
- Collaborations with buyers, regulators, and other educators
To learn more about this program, visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website.