One of the most alarming aspects of the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) are the restrictions on the use of manure and compost on farms. The Produce Rule standards make it effectively impossible for farmers to use manure and create barriers to the use of compost - in direct contradiction with established federal organic standards and the public interest in promoting the use of these natural soil amendments instead of chemicals. The FDA is proposing a nine-month interval between applying untreated manure to a field and harvesting crops from it. Additionally, the proposed rules also include a 45-day non-harvest period after applying compost. This includes composts that have been tested for O157:H7, salmonella, and indicator bacteria and documented before sale. We must convince the FDA that expensive and energy-intensive chemical sterilization practices and increased use of chemical fertilizers is not the path to a sustainable farming future. The deadline to comment on the proposed FSMA rules is November 15. Comment today! Specifically: • The interval between application of untreated manure and harvest should not be greater than the National Organic Program (NOP) • For compost, there should be no interval between application and harvest if the compost is treated consistently with NOP or similarly rigorous composting standards • To align with current best management practices, insulation of compost should not be required as part of an acceptable treatment process for compost carolinafarmstewards.org/about-fsma/
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:32:19 +0000
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