FOOD SAFETY IS CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF
NEW YORK FARMS AND FOOD PROCESSORS
The CDC estimates that each year 48 million people get sick from a
foodborne illness with over 128,000 hospitalized. According to the
Center for Food Integrity, “food safety” is the third most common
food topic searched online. The threat to human health from
contaminated foods also represents a major financial risk for New
York agriculture. The federal government recently implemented
the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which requires farms
and businesses producing foods to adhere to food safety standards.
Wholesale buyers such as supermarkets and institutions increasingly
require food safety certification through 3rd party audits of Good
Agriculture Practices (GAP). These changes create a challenge for
farms and food processors.
Harvest NY specialists are leading the effort to keep consumers safe
and NYS farms and processing businesses successful in the emerging
world of food safety. Despite the diversity of sectors we serve, each
of our program areas touch on this topic; from the 4,600+ NY dairy
farms, the 64,000 dairy processing jobs, to the 8.5 million residents
of New York City. Although we focus on many other issues, Harvest
NY recognizes that food safety is essential for New York farmers and
consumers.
Last updated April 13, 2020