Do fruits and vegetables purchased from local farms need to be inspected?
Neither the USDA nor the FDA requires that domestically produced fresh fruits and vegetables be inspected. Rather, growers are advised to voluntarily adopt and follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) as defined in the FDA’s “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.” The USDA’s grade standards are also voluntary and optional. These standards cover quality issues (size, blemishes, etc.).
