FDA clarifies how bioterrorism act applies to commercial hay producers

SALEM, Ohio – It doesn’t look like commercial hay producers need to worry about stamping bar-coded stickers on thousands of hay bales.
The federal government’s first deadline for compliance with the bioterrorism act is June 9 and commercial hay producers weren’t sure whether they had anything to worry about.
The act says people who transport or distribute food must keep detailed records to be in compliance with the bioterrorism act of 2002, and animal and pet feed are included in that “food” definition.
But the act also says farms are “excluded entirely.”
The big question was where commercial hay producers fit in.
According to FDA compliance officer Bill Bargo, they fall into the farm category and are exempt.
But … This holds true unless the producer receives hay for redistribution or transports it to another farm under different ownership, he wrote in an e-mail to Farm and Dairy.
In these cases, the producers will need to keep records only on the distribution and transporting.
These records include: