Meat&Poultry - August 2012 - 57

Breakthrough Disinfection
Food-safety oversight
That all sounds good, but there’s another problem. Even though the number of farmers markets doubled in the past five years, food-safety oversight and regulation in the markets hasn’t kept up with this increase. New farmers markets are springing up in old buildings, parking lots, in towns and city parks. This is occurring, in part, because of USDA’s increased emphasis on the production of “local” foods for “local” consumers. From a food-safety vantage point, the good part is that USDA and FDA set food-safety inspection guidelines for farmers markets. What’s not so good is that states and localities are mostly responsible for carrying out the inspections, based on how they interpret the guidelines. Unfortunately, the number and quality of these inspections vary widely. The Food Safety Modernization Act that became law two years ago gives the FDA new and additional power to demand foodsafety plans be carried out by stand holders in these markets, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans. Food-safety inspectors are also required to recall hazardous and unsafe foods. Draft regulations for this new food-safety law are expected early this fall, and these draft regulations are expected to cover farmers markets, and should make some improvement in food safety standards. But jurisdiction over the markets, and decisions about how frequently to inspect them, fall on a huge number of local or state health and agriculture departments, and can be very different from place to place. For example, meat and poultry sold in farmers markets comes from USDA-inspected or “equal to” state
We would like to hear from you – to comment on this story or to request reprints, contact us by e-mail at meatpoultry@sosland.com. Bernard Shire is M&P’s Washington correspondent, a contributing editor and a feature writer based in Lancaster, Pa. Shire also works as a food safety consultant and writer for Shire & Associates LLC.

inspected facilities. The vendors buy their products from a slaughterhouse or further-processor and sell them in the markets. In farmers markets, stands sell a wide variety of products

The number of markets has doubled in the past five years.
that will now be available to foodstamp patrons, thanks to the federal grant money, including ground beef, jerky, steaks, sausage and bacon, as well as natural, organic and pastureraised meats, plus meat and poultry from heritage breeds of meat and fowl. By using local products when possible, small and very small meat and poultry processors are able to sell their products in the local area. Even retailers and vendors selling products coming from larger inspected processors fabricate the meat products they buy (by carrying out further processing). They are able to do well at farmers markets, especially if there are more buyers available, thanks to more markets participating in the SNAP program, as a result of the federal grants. Unfortunately, while markets have grown, and the grant program is making more nutritious food available to people without access before, the food-safety regulations haven’t kept up. Hopefully, the new regulations stemming from the Food Modernization Act will help to remedy this situation and make farmers markets a benefit for everyone. ■

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Meat&Poultry - August 2012

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