California is committed to keeping our food safe. In recognition of National Food Safety Education Month, CDFA will be sharing more information about the programs that help make sure food grown and processed in California is as safe as possible.
California plays a major role in feeding the nation. We grow about half of the country’s vegetables and three‑quarters of its fruits and nuts. Because of this, CDFA takes food safety seriously. Our responsibility is to make sure the food produced here meets the highest standards, and we hold ourselves accountable to those expectations.
One of the key programs leading this work is CDFA’s Produce Safety Program (PSP). Created in 2017 through an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PSP supports California farmers in meeting the requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
About the Produce Safety Rule
FSMA, passed in 2011, marked the nation’s first major produce safety law. It shifted food safety efforts from reacting to problems to preventing them. In 2015, FDA finalized the Produce Safety Rule, which established basic national standards for how fruits and vegetables should be grown, harvested, packed and stored. When the rule took effect in 2017, California created the Produce Safety Program to help farmers meet these new requirements.
About the Produce Safety Program
Under its cooperative agreement with FDA, the Produce Safety Program carries out several important responsibilities. One of the biggest responsibilities is on-farm inspections. These inspections are meant to ensure farms are compliant with all the harvesting, packaging and storing requirements from the federal Produce Safety Rule.
The Produce Safety Program also supports farmers and farmworkers through hands-on training. These sessions teach simple, practical steps, like safe irrigation and good hygiene practices, that help prevent accidental contamination.
For smaller or newer farms preparing for their first inspection, PSP offers On-Farm Readiness Reviews, giving growers a chance to ask questions and feel confident before the official visit. PSP also provides technical assistance through its partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension, ensuring farmers have trusted experts they can turn to.
This layered system of training, guidance and support helps farmers and their communities work together to keep food safe at every stage, from growing and handling to harvesting and packaging.
Since 2019, PSP has conducted more than 2,770 farm inspections, offered 665 Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training courses and completed over 190 On-Farm Readiness Reviews for small farms that are about to be inspected. The program has become a national model in helping farms grow, harvest and pack produce safely. Through these efforts, CDFA works every day to help ensure the produce grown in California is safe for everyone.
Up Next: Produce Safety Program – Farm Inspections and Trainings