Delaware Produce and Transportation
Guiding the Eating Habits of the Nation
Commercial Processing
Federal and state laws governing the process and systems by which fruits and vegetables are grown, harvested, packed, or held have changed significantly since the 1950’s. The Produce Safety Rule under the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, establishes science-based, minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables to prevent microbial contamination and reduce foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce. The rule applies to commercial growers, harvesters, and packers of produce, who, on average, sell more than $25,000 in produce annually. 1
Over the decades, Delaware farmers have grown produce for a variety of processing companies. Today, a number of top commercial growers in the state contract with S.E.W. Friel, Hanover Foods, Pictsweet, and Seabrook Brothers and Sons.
Sources:
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration