G/SPS/N/USA/2156/Add.12  
14 May 2024  
(24-3752) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 13 May 2024, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of  the United States of America . 
 
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Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption 
Relating to Agricultural Water; Final Rule  
The Food and Drug Administration is issuing a final rule to amend the agricultural water provisions of 
the produce safety regulation. This rule replaces the microbial criteria and testing requirements for 
pre-harvest agricultural water for covered produce (other than sprouts) with a regulatory approach 
that incorporates recent science and Food and Drug Administration outbreak investigation findings to 
achieve improved public health protections as compared to the earlier requirements. The rule requires 
systems -based assessments, with required testing in certain circumstances, that focus on key risk 
factors for contamination by pre -harvest agricultural water and will enable farms to implement 
effective preventive measures. The rule requires farms to take timely action based on risk and 
includes a new requirement for expedited mitigation for certain hazards. The requirements are 
adaptable to future scientific advan cements and provide sufficient flexibility to be practicable for all 
sizes and types of farms to implement across the wide variety of agricultural water systems, uses, 
and practices. These revisions to the produce safety regulation will more comprehensivel y address a 
known route of microbial contamination that can lead to preventable foodborne illness that is a 
significant public health problem.  
This rule is effective 5 July 2024.  
https://w ww.federalregister.gov/d/2024 -09153  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/SPS/USA/24_03179_00_e.pdf  
This addendum concerns a:  
[ ] Modification of final date for comments  
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation  
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation  
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force  
[ ] Other:  
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified measure 
in terms of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of 
comments should be provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days. Under other 
circumstances, such as extension of originally announced final date for comments, the 
comment period  provided in the addendum may vary.)  G/SPS/N/USA/2156/Add.12  
 
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  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National En quiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other 
body:  
For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to 
https://www.regulations.gov  and insert the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this 
final rule into the ''Search'' box and follow the prompts, and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240 –402–7500.  
 
FOR F URTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Samir Assar, Director, Division of Produce Safety, Office of 
Food Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS –317) 5001 Campus Dr., College Park, 
MD 20740, 240 –402–1636, e -mail: samir.assar@hhs.fda.gov . 
Text(s) available from: []  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
Text can also be found in the Federal Register, Vol. 89, No. 88, Page 37448 or on the Internet at: 
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024 -09153  
 
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