FDA Produce Safety Rule: Agricultural Water

The proposed Produce Safety rule would define "agricultural water" to mean water used in covered activities on covered produce where water is intended to, or is likely to, contact covered produce (i.e., the harvestable or harvested part of the crop) or food-contact surfaces, including water used in growing, harvesting, packing, and holding activities. Agricultural water includes:

• Irrigation water applied using direct water application methods;
• Water used for preparing crop sprays;
• Water used for growing sprouts;
• Water used for washing or cooling harvested produce; and
• Water used to prevent dehydration of produce