ALEI provides education and resources to Maryland farmers on food safety liability, Maryland Good Agricultural and Handling Practices, and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

ALEI educates the agricultural community about the network of laws and policies which apply to and affect the food system. With the recent finalization of the implementing regulations of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Maryland’s farmers are facing new federal food safety standards which affect produce growers and the processing of farm products. ALEI Legal Specialists Sarah Everhart and Ashley Ellixson have addressed FSMA compliance in webinars, posts on the Maryland Risk Management Education Blog, and in educational workshops in conjunction with experts from the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland Extension. ALEI plans to continue its efforts to educate Maryland’s farmers on the best way to maintain compliance with the FSMA and Maryland’s Good Agricultural and Handling Practices.

In an effort to eliminate misunderstanding, the ALEI Legal Specialists teach farmers about civil and criminal liability stemming from food-borne illness outbreaks and the associated defense that may be asserted in such cases. ALEI advocates for proactively planning for food safety and food recalls. The goal of preventive food safety planning is to identify and address risks to strengthen individual farming operations and by extension, the entire agricultural food network.

If you are subject to FSMA or are interested in attending a food safety training, please keep an eye on the events section of the ALEI website for information on upcoming trainings.

ALEI specialists and partners have created an ongoing series of blog posts on the partner blog for FSMA updates. The full series is available here.

FDA Issues Final Rule for Compliance Dates for Agricultural Water

View the FDA Compliance Guide for FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

View the FDA Fact Sheet: Equivalent Testing Methodology for Agricultural Water.

View the FDA Fact Sheet on the Use of Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin.

Food Safety Videos: