Washing vegetables

Do I Need to Comply with the FSMA Produce Rule?

The following tool is for determining whether or not you need to comply with the Produce Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and by what date you need to comply.

Para ver contenido similar en español de la National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (Coalición Nacional de Agricultura Sustentable), hacer click aqui.

Please note the following:

  1. "Covered" vs. "Not Covered": Throughout this tool and in other FSMA Produce Rule literature, you will see the language "covered" vs. "not covered". If your farm needs to comply with FSMA, it is considered a "covered" farm; if your farm does not need to comply, it is considered "not covered". Additionally, certain crops on a given farm may be covered by the rule while other crops on the same farm are not covered.
  2. Cut-Off Values: The cut-off values for determining whether your farm is covered or not and whether or not your farm is qualified exempt are based on 2011 monetary values and will be updated annually in this tool for inflation. Last updated May 1, 2024. For more information, please visit the FDA website for FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut-Offs.
Exempt commodities, or commodities that are ‘rarely consumed raw’ are: Asparagus, beans (black, great Northern, kidney, lima, navy, pinto), garden beets (roots and tops), sugar beets, cashews, chickpeas, cocoa beans, coffee beans, collards, cranberries, dates, dill (seeds and weed), eggplants, figs, ginger, hazelnuts, horseradish, lentils, okra, peanuts, pecans, peppermint, potatoes, pumpkins, sour cherries, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, water chestnuts, and winter squash.
This cut-off was set at $25,000 in 2011 and is adjusted annually for inflation. This includes all produce, processed and raw.
This cut-off was set at $500,000 in 2011 and is adjusted annually for inflation. This includes produce, grains, meat, animals, eggs, milk, and packed or processed food products or animal feed products.
Is the produce that you grow for personal or on-farm consumption only?
Produce is defined as any fruit or vegetable, including mushrooms, sprouts, peanuts, tree nuts, and herbs.
Below is a list of produce that is rarely consumed raw. Do you grow any produce that is not on this list?
Which of the following describes your average yearly produce sales over the last 3 years (2021-2023)?
Do you have a buyer requesting food safety certification?
Will ALL of the produce you grow be processed in a way that kills harmful pathogens, e.g. commercial canning?
Do you have a buyer requesting food safety certification?
Which of the following describes your average yearly sales of all food over the last 3 years (2021-2023)?
Do you sell more than 50% of all food (produce and other) directly to a qualified end-user either in-state or within 275 miles?
A qualified end-user is the consumer of the food, or a restaurant/retail food establishment that sells directly to the consumer.
Which of the following describes your produce sales (avg of the past 3 years)?
The above cut-offs are used only for determining compliance dates and are not adjusted annually for inflation.