2016 Virginia Tech 3000-0000
GAPsandFSMA–anOverviewforHopGrowersinVirginiaHollyScogginsAssociateProfessorandExtensionSpecialist,Dept.ofHorticulture,VirginiaTechLauraSiegleAgricultureandNaturalResourceAgent,VirginiaCooperativeExtension,AmeliaCountyAmberVallottonFreshProduceSafetyTeamCoordinatorandExtensionSpecialist,Dept.ofHorticulture,VirginiaTech
Foodsafetyisahottopicforhopgrowersandbrewers.Withmultipleacronymsforvariouspractices,standards,andregulations:GAPs,FSMA,PSR,PCR,andmore;theconfusionisunderstandable.Let’sexaminewherethesmall-acreagehopgrowerfitsin.Thisfactsheetservesasanorientationtothesestandards,regulations,andpracticesastheymayapplytohops;itisinnowayacompletesetofguidelinesorsubstitutefortraining.First,abriefreviewofterms:
FSMA FoodSafety
ModernizationAct
Includes7mainrulesandcoverstheentiresupplychainfromfarmtoprocessingtodistributiontoend-user.Umbrellaorganization:FoodandDrugAdministration(FDA).NotethatFSMAguidelinesandregulationsforsomecrops/productsareaworkinprogress.Compliancedatesvarydependingontheruleinquestionandcommodity,product,andgrosssales.
GAP GoodAgriculturalPractice(s)
Broadlydefined,GAPstargeton-farmfoodsafetyrisksandareaimedatreducingthoserisksaswellasprovidingtraceability.Voluntary.Umbrellaorganization:UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)(amongothers).Auditandcertificationbyaccreditedthirdparty,similartoUSDAOrganic.
Freshly-harvestedhopsfromtheVirginiaTechResearchHopYard.Photo:HollyScoggins.
TheFoodSafetyModernizationAct(FSMA)
Weallhavemorequestionsthananswers,ashopsareonlyaddressedbyFSMAinafewplaces.Knowthathops,fromfieldtodryer,arenotunder“priorityscrutiny”becausetheyare“rarelyconsumedraw.”AfewsimplequestionscanhelpdeterminewhetherornotFSMAregulations,intheircurrentformat,applytosmallgrowers(atthistime,andsubjecttointerpretation):Q1:Doyougrowhopsandsellthemwet(fresh)and/ordried(wholeleaf)toanendusersuchasacommercialorhomebrewer?Ifyouanswered“yes”totheabovequestion,thisisconsideredafarmproduct,notprocessed.Hopsareconsidered"rawagriculturalcommodities"anda“farmproduct.”FarmproductscanstillberegulatedundertheProduceSafetyRule(PSR)ofFSMA,butrightnow,itappearsunprocessedhopsmaybeexempt,becausetheyare“rarely”consumedraw.TheFDAhasadded"drying/dehydrating"tothefarmdefinitionoftheserawcommodities.Dryingdoesnotproducea“distinctcommodity”soisnotconsideredprocessingforhops.ProcessingofrawcommoditiesfallsunderthePreventiveControlsRule(PCR).So…areweintheclear?Notquite.Abitmoreinformationisrequired:Ifyouanswered“yes”toquestion1,andaremakinglessthan$25,000ingrosssalesofhops,itishighlyprobableyouareexemptfromFSMA,asarefarmsgrowingallsortsofcommoditiesthathavelessthan$25,000inannualsales.Ifyouanswered“yes”toquestion1,butaremaking$25,000ormoreingrosssalesofhops,congratulations!Ifyou’resellingthatmuch,youmaybeprocessingthemsoyoumayneedtoanswermorequestionstodetermineyourFSMAstatus.Q2:Doyougrow,dry,andalsoprocess(pelletize)hops?TheaddedstepofpelletizinghassomeinherentfoodsafetyconcernsandMAYfallunderthePreventiveControlsRule(PCR)forprocessing,butitisstillnotclear.Atthestatelevel(Virginia),hopgrowerswhoprocess(pelletize)hopsmayneedtohaveafacilityinspection.Fornow,thebestcourseofactionforgrowerswouldbetocallVDACSdirectlyforguidanceandadecisionabouttheinspectionrequirement.ContactSarahGood,FoodTechnicalSpecialist,VirginiaDepartmentofAgricultureandConsumerServices,FoodSafetyProgram.Office(757)-363-3840http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/
GoodAgriculturalPractices(GAPs)GoodAgriculturalPractices,ascertifiablestandardsforvariousfoodsectors,havebeencreatedinresponsetofoodborneillnessesandoutbreaks.Don’tforgetwearegrowingacomponentofafoodproduct,soriskassessmentandGAPimplementationisgoodforallinvolved.GAPtrainingandcertificationforproducegrowersisofferedbyVirginiaCooperativeExtension’sFreshProduceFood
SafetyTeam.Ahop-specificprogramforgrowersisavailablethroughthenationalHopGrowersAssociation(HGA)(www.usahops.org).AninteractivemoduleonfoodsafetywillbeavailabletoHGAmembersinthenearfutureandwillgenerateacertificateofcompliance.Fornon-members,HGAoffersacomplimentaryfoodsafetymoduleonharvestpractices,alongwithhandydocumenttemplates.Downloadthepresentationand"self-certify"atnocharge(www.usahops.org/growers/food-safety.html).Important:whilefoodsafetytrainingisimportant,itisjustonepartoftheGAPcertificationprocess.ToobtainGAPcertification,athird-partymustcertifythatthefarmisGAP-compliantandfollowingprescribedstandards,notunlikeorganiccertification.AnotherupsideoffollowingGAPsisthatitmayopenaccesstonewmarketsthatotherwisewouldbeclosed–certificationcanbeagreatmarketingtool.Brewersandendconsumerswillappreciateyourattentiontofoodsafetyconcerns,aswellassustainablegrowingpractices,record-keeping,pesticideharvestintervals,andsanitationthroughouttheharvest(anddrying)process.Muchofthisisjustcommonsense,sothereisnoneedtobeintimidated!SomeproductionexamplesofGAPsthatwouldapplytohops:
• Testwellorsurfacewaterforpathogens/othercontaminantsifusedforirrigation.• Observepre-harvestintervals(PHIs,asshownonpesticidelabels)forallpesticides(fungicides,
herbicides,pesticides)• Keepcareful,thoroughrecordsofchemicalapplications.(VirginiaCooperativeExtensioncan
meetallyourneedsforpesticideapplicatortrainingandrecord-keepingresources.)• Monitorgrowingareasforpresenceofwildlifeandtakecorrectiveactionsifnecessary
Forharvestandhandling,hopGAPsarealsosimilartothoseforfreshproduce.Think“hygiene”and“safety”–foryou,yourworkers,andyourhops.Exampleharvestandhandlingproceduresthatwouldapplytohops:
• Washandsanitizeharvesters,allpickingandstoragecontainers,andpackingtables.• Keepharvest/cone-pickingareafreeoffoodanddrink(waterinnon-breakablebottleso.k.)• Noanimalsintheharvestvicinity.• Provideawashstationwithpotablewaterandtoiletfacilitiesforallhelpers.Providesoap,
disposablepapertowels,andatrashreceptacle• Firstaidkitsshouldbeavailable.• Pestmanagementsystemsinplaceforharvestarea,dryingapparatus,andhopstorage.• Nosmoking,dipping,spitting,oreatinginharvestingandpackingareas.
Finally,GAPscanbeapartofyourtotalmarketingpackage.Providinginformationaboutyourgrowingpracticesandcropisagreatwaytogainbrewer/customerconfidence!Yourpacketofinformationmightcontainthefollowing:
• Completecontactinformationforyouandyourfarm• Growingfieldmapidentifyingfields(asittiesintoyourtracebackcodes)• CopyofGAPtrainingcertificateandanytrainingmaterials
• Copyofpesticideapplicator’slicense• USAHopGrowerNumberissuedbyHopGrowersofAmerica(donothavetobememberof
HopGrowersofAmerica;justhaveatleast0.25acresinproductionwithcommercialintent).• Watertestresults(ifwell/surfacewaterusedforirrigation)• Hopspercentmoistureandalpha/betaacids(VirginiaTechHopsAnalysisLab–HopsAcidPanel
–24hoursturn-around).Repeatingthepreviouscaveat:thisisinnowayacompletesetofguidelinesorsubstitutefortraining.We,yourVCEspecialistsandagents,areworkingtohelpyounegotiatethesenewstandardsandregulations.Wewelcomeyourquestionsandfeedbackaswedeveloppublications,trainingresources,andmore.Contact:[email protected](540)[email protected](804)[email protected](540)231-5655Moreresources
• Youmaybeinterestedintheonline“FSMAComplianceWizard”offeredatwww.registrarcorp.com-itwalksyouthroughafewgenericquestionsaboutyouroperation,thenproducesasummaryreportastoFSMAexemptionsandpossibleobligations(atabsolutelynochargeorcommitment).RegistrarCorpislocatedinHampton,VAandisathirdpartyorganizationthatassistsbusinesseswithFDAcompliance.
• VirginiaCooperativeExtension-Hopssite:http://www.ext.vt.edu/topics/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/hops/
• VirginiaCooperativeExtension–On-farmFoodSafetysite:http://www.ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/on-farm-food-safety.html
• VirginiaTechCultivarTrials/ResearchHopYard:https://www.facebook.com/HopsVT/• HopsAnalysisLab,VirginiaTech:http://www.hops.fst.vt.edu/• OldDominionHopsCooperative:http://www.olddominionhops.com/
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