Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water

Résumé

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is proposing dates for compliance with the pre-harvest agricultural water provisions for covered produce other than sprouts in the "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water" proposed rule. We also are specifying the duration of the period during which we intend to exercise enforcement discretion for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce other than sprouts in the produce safety regulation to provide covered farms, regulators, educators, and other stakeholders additional time to facilitate compliance with those provisions. The proposed compliance dates for pre-harvest agricultural water requirements and our exercise of enforcement discretion for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water provisions are intended to facilitate successful implementation and optimize public health protections. We are reopening the comment period only with respect to the compliance dates for the proposed pre- harvest agricultural water provisions for covered produce other than sprouts.