Perdue's Consolidation Pt 2

Perdue's Consolidation Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. Streamlining the food safety oversight system is one of Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue's goals in the coming months. We talked yesterday about the conversation he had with Washington producers where he talked about the progress made in the recent alignment of requirements of both his agencies' H-GAP audit program and the FDA FSMA's Produce Safety Rule ...

PERDUE ... "We're working with them closely over a harmonized, one audit system rather than and FDA audit on FSMA and a GAP audit on USDA. And we're trying really to get the private sector to join up and have one global audit that our producers can comply with and that be it. You know, in the produce business they're audited to death. You know, you're just about to have a person dedicated to keeping all the records and auditing those kinds of things."

Perdue says that's how it should work ...

PERDUE ... "That's what we're headed for. That's what's been talked about. Congressmen will have some say in how these things are. Many people don't give it any chance, but if you look at the overall recommendations, they make a lot of sense.

Perdue says it just doesn't need to be so complicated ...

PERDUE ... "I believe farmers want to comply, but you've got this and that and all these other people. You've got several agencies to deal with. It's tough to comply. You just get 'compliance fatigue' by everybody coming by and checking on you. So, that's what we're trying to do."

Perdue says the government should make things easier for customers whenever possible and these important improvements help accomplish that goal.

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