Florida Tomato Industry Food Safety Program
Food safety is a top priority for the Florida tomato industry. Nothing is more important to Florida’s tomato growers than the confidence of their customers in our product’s quality and wholesomeness. Producers are committed to taking whatever proactive steps are necessary to ensure and enhance the safety of the food they produce.
Florida is the first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive food safety program with mandatory government inspection and audit for tomato handling, production and packing. These Good Agricultural Practices (GAP’s) and Best Management Practices (BMP’s) were adopted as state regulations, effective July 1, 2008.
Highlights of the program include:
- Annual registration of all packers and repackers of tomatoes in Florida, to be facilitated by county extension offices.
- Education, training courses and workshops on food safety practices.
- Regulatory inspections and audits by state inspectors with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)