Lilley speaks with BDN about new federal food safety rules
Jason Lilley, a sustainable agriculture professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, was interviewed by the Bangor Daily News for the article, “Maine farmers hit with new federal food safety rules.” The federal Food Safety Modernization Act is the first significant overhaul of food safety regulations since the 1930s and was designed to prevent foodborne illness, according to the article. This month, large farms that sell more than a half-million dollars worth of produce are the first that will have to comply with the regulations, with some smaller farms being told to comply in the next couple of years, the article states. Lilley, who is one of the UMaine Extension educators offering trainings to Maine farmers to help them get into compliance, said he believes the law’s requirements might be onerous to farmers but ultimately will help prevent foodborne illnesses. “People are frustrated because it’s the new thing they are being told they have to do, but there are resources,” he said. “If people are paying attention and being proactive, it’s not an unbearable new ask. When you consider what it’s like to have a foodborne illness, or to have your business responsible for causing one, it’s worthwhile to take those few extra precautions, in my opinion.”