Wisconsin Ag Department to Resume Modified Produce Inspection Operations Beginning Next Week
Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 -- 9:08 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture announced it will resume modified produce inspection operations beginning the week of June 29.Routine compliance inspections were halted in March by the Food and Drug Administration's partial stop work order issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the agency lifted the stop work order on June 5, states are allowed to resume inspections following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others. Meanwhile, DATCP's Produce Safety team has developed a return-to-inspection work plan, based on best practices from the national Association of Food and Drug Officials, with the goal of providing a safe and consistent approach for staff and produce growers.
Last year, the state began inspecting produce farms for compliance with federal produce safety regulations. The department is also partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension to provide produce safety training and on-farm readiness reviews to educate produce growers.
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