The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to exempt small farms from new food safety rules. This would apply to farms that sell directly to the consumer: farmers’ markets, roadside stands and subscribers to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.
This exemption could apply to 71,000 farms nationwide. Currently, they are required to register as food facilities and are subjected to Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. The fear of including farms that direct sell is that the number of small farms could decrease due to new regulations.
The new safety rules apply to registration requirements. For non-exempt food facilities, this means they must allow FDA to inspect their facility and provide more detailed records for registration.
