Food Security

From the FDA - Food Safety and Terrorism Website.
    FDA Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters

                                                                                   - Retail Food Stores and Food Service Establishments

                                                                                   - Importers and Filers

See the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 website for final rules and information.

    Fact Sheet on FDA'S New Food Bioterrorism Regulation: Establishment and Maintenance of Records
    Overview of establishing and maintaining records under the Bioterrorism Act

Packinghouses must register with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
    The Online Facility Registration Website 
    Download Food Facility Registration Forms & Instructions from the FDA website
    Food facilities registration Rule, 58893–58974 [03–25849]

Countering Bioterrorism and Other Threats to the Food Supply with links to many sources of governmental information.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ - Bio & Food Security Preparedness website
   FDACS Food Security Guide

Resources & Fact Sheets from the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC)

FEMA - Emergency Preparedness for Families, Individuals, Households and Pets

FAO - Biosecurity for Agriculture and Food Production

Food Supply & Water Purification Security Publications from the Counter-Terrorism Training and Resources website.

Food Safety

The GLOBALGAP website - GLOBALGAP is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe.

Table of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) (updated September 2008) for Citrus for the U.S. & Selected Export Markets

Chemical Residue Tolerance Information For:

   The International Maximum Residue Limits Database - USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

   U.S.A. Title 40 of the code of federal regulations.

   Japan:
      Provisional English translation of the new law and related new provisional MRLs
          - EFFECTIVE May 29, 2006.
          Announced Nov. 29, 2005, with the English translation available May 1, 2006
      2004 Proposed MRLs for Japan
   Europe (at http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/index_en.htm)

     Information and updates to EC MRLs

         Information: http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/food_industry.asp?id=23

         Potential & Agreed MRLs: http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/food_industry.asp?id=546

   Codex Alimentarius (Click for the CODEX Alimentarius home page)

Canada (at http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/legis/maxres-e.html)

Pesticides & Pesticide Labels:

   US EPA Pesticide Information WebSite

   US EPA Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS) - Images of
       pesticide labels.

   California Department of Pesticide Regulation

   US EPA Registered Pesticides (Maintained by the State of California)

   Crop Data Management Systems, Inc. Full text pesticide labels & MSDSs

Florida Department of Health - "Florida Department of Health Website's mission is to promote and protect the health and safety of all Floridians."

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services -
   FOOD SECURITY GUIDE - For the Public, Producers, Processors, Transporters, and Retailers
   Division of Food Safety
   Food Safety - Food and Meat Inspection

The University of California Vegetable Research & Information Center - Food Safety in Vegetable Production

Gateway to Government Food Safety Information - "FoodSafety is a gateway website that provides links to selected government food safety-related information. Not every government web site is listed."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foodborne Outbreak Response & Surveillance Unit

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Homepage - "The U.S. food safety system is based on strong, flexible, and science-based federal and state laws and industry’s legal responsibility to produce safe foods."
   See also their Food Security and Emergency Preparedness Website

U.S. Centers for Disease Control Home Page 

National Center for Infectious Diseases 

United States Environmental Protection Agency- Code of Federal Regulations - "The CFR is a codification of the rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government."

EPA Integrated Risk Information System - "IRIS is a database of human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment"

EPA Office of Pesticide Programs RED page - "Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) documents contain the results of EPA's regulatory reviews of pesticides initially registered before November 1, 1984."

Code of Federal Regulations - "The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government."

Produce Handling and Processing Practices - In the past decade, outbreaks of human illness associated with the consumption of raw vegetables and fruits (or unpasteurized products produced from them) have increased in the United States.

Emerging Food Borne Diseases - The epidemiology of foodborne disease is changing. New pathogens have emerged, and some have spread worldwide.

USDA Food borne Illness Education Information Center - "The USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center provides information about Foodborne illness's."

Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - Over the last several years, the detection of outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with both domestic and imported fresh fruits and vegetables has increased

Food Safety Research Information Office - The food safety research database is an ongoing effort providing users with information on research projects through the cooperation of government agencies, educational institutions and other organizations.

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition -"Department of Health and Human Services"

National Food Safety Programs

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) - US Food and Drug Administration, 
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Washington State University Food Safety - This Workbook was designed to help producers identify sources of potential microbial contamination or pesticide residue in their operations and reduce food safety risks.

Good Agricultural Practices Manual - Manuals in English and Spanish.

Selected Other Sites
*Links to Non-University of Florida/IFAS sites are provided as
a service and do not imply endorsement of information or products*

PrimusLabs.com (http://www.primuslabs.com/) - "For those produce firms in the process of developing safe food production programs, the PrimusLabs.com website provides a free system for designing customized packinghouse and cooling facility: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)."

Ecolab - Includes information on advanced sanitation technologies, personnel hygiene programs, food surface treatments and food irradiation.

Chlorine Disinfections of Produce Wash water - "Chlorine for disinfection is available in three different physical phases; solid (calcium hypochlorite Ca(OCl)₂), liquid (sodium hypochlorite NaOCl or common bleach), and gas (chlorine Cl₂)."

Chlorine Handling -  "The Chlorine Chemistry Council^® (CCC) strives to achieve policies that promote the continuing, responsible uses of chlorine and chlorine-based products"

See also our General Postharvest Information Section