FDA sugar house registration

[JoeJ]

Has anyone else seen the latest VMSA newsletter about having to register by Dec 31, 2012 with the FDA as a food production facility?

[rchase]

someone told me this yesterday and i told them they where crazy. now i dont think so. hope someone knows anout this on here.

[Bucket Head]

This is an interesting post. I'm sure producers in every state are wondering about what I'm going to ask. What happens after the 31st if you don't register- you can't make or sell syrup? And more importantly, what regulations accompany the registration and when do the inspections start?

Steve

[markcasper]

Unless you get something registered mail, you should not worry about it. There are alot of scams floating around preying to rip people off.

[JoeJ]

Mark,

I was trying to find out what other people have heard about the FDA registration. I received the VMSMA newsletter via email on Dec 6. The heading of the column was "Urgent: FDA Food Facility Registration Due"
The column states that the Food Safety and Modernization Act was signed into law in Jan 2011 to protect the American food supply. According to the column, if you boil sap to make maple syrup, you must
register with the FDA as a food production facility. There is an exemption for syrup boiled for personal consumption only and if you collect sap but do not boil it. I emailed the executive director of the VMSMA
twice with questions for clarification and he stated both times that if you boil sap and make syrup, you must register with the FDA (except for the above exemptions). Unfortunately, I do not think that this is
a hoax. Time will tell

[happy thoughts]

Has anyone else seen the latest VMSA newsletter about having to register by Dec 31, 2012 with the FDA as a food production facility?

JoeJ- I found this on the net- laws specific to your state of Vermont. It's a pdf file from UVM. There is contact info there and you might get a better response from your local Ag extension. As I read it, if you sell any amount of syrup in VT you have to be registered in your state. If you sell outside the state you must also be FDA registered.

It's all part of the US food modernization and safety act that a lot of states have already used to update their state regs. It's purpose is to help improve food safety and make it possible to trace food products if there are problems. When written in 2002 it's purpose was supposedly tracing acts of bioterrorism.

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/food/pd...gs_nov2012.pdf

Hope that helps.

[markcasper]

I don't know....something seems real strange. I was on this page reading through the posts, clicked on the back browser and was redirected to the fda website instead of the maple topics for the day. They are probably bugged into this thread b/c why would I be directed to their web site?

[Meridian Maples]

We were registered with the FDA over a year ago. We actually had an FDA inspection last year during the season. It was actually a USDA inspector that came out. They do your basic inspection, but you also have to show them your recall plan and ect. If you go to the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers website they have a link about this requirement. Its actually been on there for quite a while.
We were worried about this inspection, but it wasn't much. I think we were the first inspection they did in our area. We just went through their list of requirements and made sure we abided, everything went well.

[Spanielslovesappin]

Below is the link to the CFR's Part 110 that pertain to the FDA Safe food practices. It is not overly restrictive. Though they seem to want running water, a hand washing sink and procedure, hoods or covers (not tightly fitting) over open containers and the most troubling part... a bathroom. I am using the bathroom in my mom house across the street to meet that one as i do not have and could not reasonable be expected to install a septic system for a sugarhouse. Running water could come from condensation?

My take on this... i hate it...the man keeping down the little guy, this is affecting so many little people far beyond our little click.

BUT, we all already live and die by the CFR's as they pretty much regulate everything that occurs in our lives AND if you familiarize yourself with the regs, you will find that if you are making a clean quality product you are already doing 90% of what is called for.

In my 10 years of answering questions for government inspectors, i have found that for the most part if you are familiar with the reg's, you wont be caught off guard and you can tell them why you think that your process meets their reg's. Showing that you are simply aware of this law will help.

Meeting the reg's will make it easier to sell your syrup to packers, the local dinner and stores thus increasing the size of the market. And if your a back woods brewer who is keeping a low profile and consuming, gifting or selling to close friends and family then your not really on the radar of this issue.

A final thought... Everyone these days seems to be willing to trade freedoms for security, (think about that last trip to the airport) unfortunately in the eyes of Ben Franklin, we deserve neither!

The FDA Link as promised:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/script...fm?CFRPart=110

[DrTimPerkins]

...you must register with the FDA (except for the above exemptions). Unfortunately, I do not think that this is a hoax. Time will tell

Joe and all....This is not a hoax. Maple producers are required now to register with the FDA unless they fall under certain exemptions. The process is neither hard, nor terribly time consuming. Unfortunately, there are some companies out there mailing/calling with offers to get you registered for some exorbitant amount of $. You probably don't need their services....the process of registering online is really not too bad. The UVM PMRC registered the first time around....back in 2002 I think. Only thing this has resulted in so far is an email every couple of years asking us to update our registration, which we have done.