What is an On-Farm Readiness Review?
An On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) is a non-regulatory, free pre-inspectional visit to farms growing covered produce. An OFRR is NOT an inspection but is about educating before regulating. The goal of an OFRR is to provide farmers with useful information and insight so they can comply with the federal Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR § 112). It is very important that routine farm operations (such as washing, packing, and harvesting activities) are occurring during the OFRR so reviewers can make accurate recommendations for produce safety improvements specific to your farm.
Who conducts On-Farm Readiness Reviews?
On-Farm Readiness Reviews will be conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program specialists.
How is an On-Farm Readiness Review different from an audit or inspection?
An On-Farm Readiness Review is not a regulatory visit. The primary goal of the OFRR is to help covered farms prepare for a FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspection and align on-farm practices with the applicable regulatory requirements. The free OFRR assessment will consist of an on-farm observation aimed at evaluating the key areas regulated under 21 CFR § 112. Another goal of the OFRR process is to help establish a conversational dialogue between growers and regulators before inspections begin. Reviewers are not there to conduct an audit, inspection, or any type of regulatory assessment. All notes taken by the reviewers will be left with the farm at the end of
the visit.
What should I do to prepare for an On-Farm Readiness Review?
We strongly recommend that at least one person from your farm complete the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course before scheduling an OFRR. The PSA Grower Training will provide you with essential background knowledge about the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and recommended produce safety practices that will help you to get the most out of the OFRR. In addition, this training satisfies the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement for covered farms that "at least one supervisor or responsible party" completes "food safety training… recognized as adequate” by FDA (21 C.F.R. §112.22(c)).
Learn more at https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/training/grower-training-courses.
Before the OFRR, review the PSA Grower Training Manual from the Grower Training Course (see above) and your farm’s food safety plan, if you have one. Write down any questions you have ahead of time. Additional information can be found at https://www.agr.georgia.gov/produce-safety.
What happens during an On-Farm Readiness Review?
- Reviewers will begin by asking a series of questions to better understand your farm’s produce safety practices and farm procedures.
- Reviewers will ask to view different areas of the farm to observe harvesting, washing, and packing processes as well as storage or holding areas.
- At the end of the visit, reviewers will provide feedback on observations and identify priority areas for improvement in produce safety practices on your farm.
- The GDA Produce Safety Program’s specialists can provide additional technical assistance based on the feedback from your On-Farm Readiness Review, which may involve follow up information sharing or additional farm visits.
What if a public health hazard is found during my On-Farm Readiness Review?
In the rare instance that we observe a serious condition that could be considered “egregious” (an imminent public health hazard is posed if a corrective action is not taken immediately), if the product has not entered commerce and the issue can be immediately addressed, reviewers will not notify FDA or any other state/federal agency, nor will a written record will be made. It is our intention to immediately address any serious concerns on-site.
How do I sign up for an On-Farm Readiness Review?
To register for an On-Farm Readiness Review, visit https://www.agr.georgia.gov/produce-safety. When your registration form has been received, a team member from the Produce Safety Program will get in contact with you to schedule your On-Farm Readiness Review.
Where should I go for more information?
Contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program office at (229)-726-8617 with questions or to learn more about On-Farm Readiness Reviews. For additional resources, please visit https://www.agr.georgia.gov/produce-safety.
This program is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007413 totaling $4,695,475 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.