Food Safety Center: Food Businesses
Providing Safe Locally-Grown Produce to Commercial Food Establishments
and the General Public
Can commercial food operators* buy produce directly from the grower?
Yes, if the person is selling produce that they have grown on their
own land. A license would not be required, as indicated by:
*Typical commercial food operators (retail)
include restaurants, caterers, school foodservice, institutions,
daycares, grocery stores, food markets, cooperatives, bakeries,
convenience stores, temporary food stands, etc.
If a grower is selling produce to commercial food establishments,
is the grower considered an approved source?
Yes, this is considered an approved source if the food is not processed
and is grown on the farm or garden occupied and cultivated by them
as long as the food has not been prepared or stored in the private
home.
Would a grower be required to have a license for foods that are
processed?
Yes, a license would be required if foods are processed, such as
cutting, heating, canning, freezing, drying, mixing, coating, bottling,
etc., or if foods are purchased for resale. Processing would not
include sorting, trimming as part of the harvesting process, or
preliminary washing to remove extraneous soil and debris.
In addition, if a person buys produce from another grower for resale,
that person may need to be licensed as a Minnesota Wholesale Produce
Dealer. Further questions on this should be directed to the Minnesota
Department of Agriculture.
If a grower does not need a license, does that mean they do not
have to comply with good agricultural and management practices?
No, even though a grower may not be required to have a food handler’s
license, they are still bound by various federal and state laws.
For example, the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) has chemical
restriction requirements, such as what can be used, amounts, and
how and when it can be applied. Additionally, state agencies regulate
fertilizer and pesticide use, irrigation waters, application of
manure or sludge, etc.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Dairy and Food
Inspection Division’s Food Inspection staff periodically spot
check growers at roadside stands, “u-pick” farms, and
farmers markets by collecting food samples for laboratory analyses
for residues and other possible contaminants.
How can a buyer or user become more knowledgeable about produce?
- Identify the source of the product (ask for an invoice, etc.
that identifies the supplier or grower’s name and address).
Good record keeping is particularly important in case of a trace
back of a product due to illness or injury.
- Visit the farm or ask for more information on production practices
(if applicable).
- Look at the transportation vehicle for chemicals, cleanliness,
odors, and obvious debris.
- Look at pallets, packages and boxed stored foods for cross-contamination.
- Inspect the produce for signs of insects, disease, bruising
and damage, freshness, over-ripeness, and immaturity.
- Examine packages of food products to make sure that they are
intact and not leaking, and for signs of contamination by rodents,
insects or birds.
- Check proper transport temperatures for potentially hazardous
foods.
- Wash produce before using it to remove soil and surface contamination.
- If the produce is advertised as “organic”, ask for
documentation that references the USDA Certifying Agent.
Food Safety Resources
Below is a list of websites that contain further information about
produce and variety of other food safety topics.
National Food Safety
Programs Attention: Non-MDH link (a lot of information on produce)
Cornell University’s Good
Agricultural Practices Project Attention: Non-MDH
link (EXCELLENT food safety information
– grower’s guide, farm checklist, PowerPoint presentations,
etc.)
Center of Disease Control’s
(CDC) Food Safety Office Attention: Non-MDH
link (information on foodborne diseases)
USDA’s
National Organic Food Program Attention:
Non-MDH link (organic food law, certifying agents,
and more)
Minnesota Food Code (regulations for
retailers)
Minnesota State
Laws (statutes)
Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheets (food safety fact sheets on the Minnesota Food Code, including information
on approved sources and receiving safe food)
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Attention:
Non-MDH link
For questions or more information, please contact your local health
department or:
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
625 North Robert Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-201-6027
Minnesota Department of Health
Division of Environmental Health
Section of Environmental Health Services
P.O. Box 64975, St. Paul, MN 55164
651-201-4500
For questions about this page, please contact the Food, Beverage and Lodging
Program at health.foodlodging@state.mn.us or
651-201-4500.
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