A conversation is a good way to make sure you are getting produce that is grown, harvested, and packed using best practices for food safety. You can ask a general question such as “Can you tell me about your food safety practices?” or “How do you address food safety on your farm?” Listen and ask clarifying questions so you can make a confident decision to purchase from the farmer.
Here are some other questions you can ask:
- Did you take a produce safety course to learn about assessing food safety risks on your farm, how to mitigate them, and how to correct issues if/when needed? Can I see the certificate?
- Do you have a written food safety plan or standard operating procedures (SOPs)?
- If you have workers, how and what are they trained on food safety?
- Do you test your water to ensure it has no detectable E. coli? Can they share the results?
- Can you explain your handwashing practices and hand sink accessibility while harvesting produce?
- After harvest, how do you protect the food from contacting dirty surfaces? How do you clean and maintain your harvest bins?
- What is your pest management program for your fields and in your packshed?
- What are your practices to minimize produce touching dirty boxes or packing materials?
- Can I see your inspection reports from the MDA Produce Safety Program for the last two years and/or your third-party audit reports?
For even more information, see this on-farm food safety questions resource.
Under the Produce Safety Rule there is no required temperature to store or transport whole intact produce. However, if the produce has been processed or cut, such as in the case of pre-packaged salads or cut melons, additional safety guidelines come into play.
For Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods—which includes items like sprouts, cut leafy greens, cut melons, and cut tomatoes—the Minnesota Food Code requires these items to be received at 41°F (5°C) or below. This helps to prevent harmful bacteria growth and maintain food safety.
As a buyer, communicate with local farmers about specific temperature requirements for receiving produce, based on the type of produce and your own regulatory needs. Clear communication ensures proper handling and compliance with food safety guidelines.
Under the Produce Safety Rule there is no required temperature to store or transport whole intact produce. However, if the produce has been processed or cut, such as in the case of pre-packaged salads or cut melons, additional safety guidelines come into play.
For Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods—which includes items like sprouts, cut leafy greens, cut melons, and cut tomatoes—the Minnesota Food Code requires these items to be received at 41°F (5°C) or below. This helps to prevent harmful bacteria growth and maintain food safety.
As a buyer, communicate with local farmers about specific temperature requirements for receiving produce, based on the type of produce and your own regulatory needs. Clear communication ensures proper handling and compliance with food safety guidelines.
All packaged produce should have a complete label. The farmer or you, as the buyer, can prepare these labels, but labels must include:
Name of the product: The label must clearly identify the product.
Contact information: The name and complete address of the manufacturer (i.e. grower), packager, or distributor must be provided.
Net quantity: The net quantity of the contents (either by weight or count) must be displayed.
Ingredient list: An ingredient list is not required for single ingredient items. However, if the produce is processed (e.g., pre-cut or canned) or contains additives, an ingredient list is required.
Nutritional information: A nutrition facts panel is generally not required. However, if the packaging includes any nutritional claims (such as "low calorie" or "high in fiber"), a nutrition facts panel must be included.
If you are buying unpackaged produce (e.g., displayed in open trays or bulk), individual labeling is not required. However, if you're purchasing cases of bulk, loose produce for resale or distribution, you may require your farm suppliers to label these cases with complete food packaging labels or provide other information to help with traceability. The farm may also choose to include labels with lot codes or other traceability information for their own records.
All packaged produce should have a complete label. The farmer or you, as the buyer, can prepare these labels, but labels must include:
Name of the product: The label must clearly identify the product.
Contact information: The name and complete address of the manufacturer (i.e. grower), packager, or distributor must be provided.
Net quantity: The net quantity of the contents (either by weight or count) must be displayed.
Ingredient list: An ingredient list is not required for single ingredient items. However, if the produce is processed (e.g., pre-cut or canned) or contains additives, an ingredient list is required.
Nutritional information: A nutrition facts panel is generally not required. However, if the packaging includes any nutritional claims (such as "low calorie" or "high in fiber"), a nutrition facts panel must be included.
If you are buying unpackaged produce (e.g., displayed in open trays or bulk), individual labeling is not required. However, if you're purchasing cases of bulk, loose produce for resale or distribution, you may require your farm suppliers to label these cases with complete food packaging labels or provide other information to help with traceability. The farm may also choose to include labels with lot codes or other traceability information for their own records.
Organic certification is not a food safety inspection or audit. While it does involve an inspection of farming practices to ensure a farm meets USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, such as the use of organic seeds and avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, it is not focused on food safety. Organic certification is conducted by accredited organizations and serves primarily as a marketing tool to communicate that the produce meets organic production standards.
As a buyer, your role in ensuring safe produce is critical. By asking the right questions and being informed about food safety practices, you can help promote a safer food system.
Organic certification is not a food safety inspection or audit. While it does involve an inspection of farming practices to ensure a farm meets USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, such as the use of organic seeds and avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, it is not focused on food safety. Organic certification is conducted by accredited organizations and serves primarily as a marketing tool to communicate that the produce meets organic production standards.
As a buyer, your role in ensuring safe produce is critical. By asking the right questions and being informed about food safety practices, you can help promote a safer food system.
No, farms in Minnesota are not required to be licensed to sell fruits and vegetables that they grow. If the farm is selling produce that was grown by a different farm, then they are required to have a license to resell or redistribute it. A product of the farm or garden may be further processed by the farm (e.g., canned pickles), but if off-farm ingredients are added, such as vinegar or sugar, a license is required. For more information, see Food Licensing Exclusions and Exemptions.
Businesses such as produce aggregators or food hubs which purchase produce from multiple farms, aggregate (combine) it, and then handle, package, or distribute produce, are required to hold a license with the MDA.
No, most produce farms within Minnesota are not required to have a food safety inspection. Only the larger farms that meet certain sales thresholds and markets are required to have a food safety inspection from the MDA Produce Safety Program. You can request to see a copy of an inspection report from any farm that is inspected to better understand any food safety concerns.
Additionally, some farms elect to have a third-party food safety audit, such as a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit, but this is not a regulatory inspection. If your farmer has undergone one of these voluntary food safety audits, it is typically for one or two crops they grow, not the entire farm. You can ask to see their certificate to verify the fruits and vegetables you’re buying have passed an audit. Farms need to re-certify each year – it does not carry from year to year.
Small farms are not more or less safe than a large farm. All farms have the same types of food safety risks and must implement strategies to mitigate those risks.
The Minnesota Grown label is not indicative of food safety. It is a marketing program to help farms communicate that their food is grown in Minnesota. No regulatory program or food safety education is associated with the label.
A conversation is a good way to make sure you are getting produce that is grown, harvested, and packed using best practices for food safety. You can ask a general question such as “Can you tell me about your food safety practices?” or “How do you address food safety on your farm?” Listen and ask clarifying questions so you can make a confident decision to purchase from the farmer.
Here are some other questions you can ask:
- Did you take a produce safety course to learn about assessing food safety risks on your farm, how to mitigate them, and how to correct issues if/when needed? Can I see the certificate?
- Do you have a written food safety plan or standard operating procedures (SOPs)?
- If you have workers, how and what are they trained on food safety?
- Do you test your water to ensure it has no detectable E. coli? Can they share the results?
- Can you explain your handwashing practices and hand sink accessibility while harvesting produce?
- After harvest, how do you protect the food from contacting dirty surfaces? How do you clean and maintain your harvest bins?
- What is your pest management program for your fields and in your packshed?
- What are your practices to minimize produce touching dirty boxes or packing materials?
- Can I see your inspection reports from the MDA Produce Safety Program for the last two years and/or your third-party audit reports?
For even more information, see this on-farm food safety questions resource.
Under the Produce Safety Rule there is no required temperature to store or transport whole intact produce. However, if the produce has been processed or cut, such as in the case of pre-packaged salads or cut melons, additional safety guidelines come into play.
For Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods—which includes items like sprouts, cut leafy greens, cut melons, and cut tomatoes—the Minnesota Food Code requires these items to be received at 41°F (5°C) or below. This helps to prevent harmful bacteria growth and maintain food safety.
As a buyer, communicate with local farmers about specific temperature requirements for receiving produce, based on the type of produce and your own regulatory needs. Clear communication ensures proper handling and compliance with food safety guidelines.
All packaged produce should have a complete label. The farmer or you, as the buyer, can prepare these labels, but labels must include:
Name of the product: The label must clearly identify the product.
Contact information: The name and complete address of the manufacturer (i.e. grower), packager, or distributor must be provided.
Net quantity: The net quantity of the contents (either by weight or count) must be displayed.
Ingredient list: An ingredient list is not required for single ingredient items. However, if the produce is processed (e.g., pre-cut or canned) or contains additives, an ingredient list is required.
Nutritional information: A nutrition facts panel is generally not required. However, if the packaging includes any nutritional claims (such as "low calorie" or "high in fiber"), a nutrition facts panel must be included.
If you are buying unpackaged produce (e.g., displayed in open trays or bulk), individual labeling is not required. However, if you're purchasing cases of bulk, loose produce for resale or distribution, you may require your farm suppliers to label these cases with complete food packaging labels or provide other information to help with traceability. The farm may also choose to include labels with lot codes or other traceability information for their own records.
Organic certification is not a food safety inspection or audit. While it does involve an inspection of farming practices to ensure a farm meets USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, such as the use of organic seeds and avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, it is not focused on food safety. Organic certification is conducted by accredited organizations and serves primarily as a marketing tool to communicate that the produce meets organic production standards.
As a buyer, your role in ensuring safe produce is critical. By asking the right questions and being informed about food safety practices, you can help promote a safer food system.
