This publication is a guide to selling raw, processed, and prepared food products from your home, at farmers’ markets, stores, and roadside stands. This guide will detail the answers to those questions, which vary depending on the type of food product and preparation process used. All food producers should follow the relevant good manufacturing practices (for example, those outlined in 21 CFR 114 and/or 21 CFR 117). This guide includes information related to meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, crustacean, shellfish, produce, maple syrup, honey, eggs, baked goods, jams, preserves, jellies, fruit butters, acidified canned foods, dehydrated foods, packaged refrigerated or frozen foods, kombucha, juice, pet treats, samples, time and temperature controlled for safety foods, and food service vendors.

The FDA Traceability Rule (FTR) introduces new requirements for tracking seafood products through the supply chain. This publication explains how the rule affects the seafood industry, with particular focus on products listed in FDA's Food Traceability List, including finfish, crustaceans, and most molluscan shellfish. It outlines key concepts such as Critical Tracking Events, Traceability Lot Codes, and Key Data Elements that seafood businesses must understand for compliance. Using the Virginia blue crab industry as an example, the publication demonstrates how to implement these requirements across the supply chain from harvest to final sale. Practical guidance is provided for record keeping, staff training, and selecting appropriate technology solutions. While implementing these new requirements requires careful planning, the resulting improvements in traceability systems offer substantial benefits beyond regulatory compliance, including enhanced food safety response, market differentiation, and operational efficiency.

Food allergies affect approximately 11 percent of adults and approximately 8 percent of children in the United States. Over the last decade, the number of young people with food allergies has increased. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in food allergies in children of 50% from 1997 to 2011. Food allergies can be serious and life-threatening; severe reactions kill 100 to 200 Americans per year (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023). The risk of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced if physicians, parents, child care providers, and teachers work to minimize risks and provide a safe environment for children with food allergies. This publication provides general information and guidelines to manage food allergies at home, schools, day care centers, and camps.

This factsheet describes Sesame Allergies and how to manage them. This new allergen was added to the big FDA allergens list in 2023.

Effective education of food producers relies heavily on Extension efforts that emphasize tackling community and societal issues at the grassroots level. Educators across the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) system work closely with food producers to improve learning outcomes; however, educators engaged in this work must first identify their stakeholder needs to provide these producers with effective education. Overcoming these barriers requires substantial effort in producing or translating training materials in multiple formats. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the most significant obstacles to acquiring food safety knowledge and changing behaviors before embarking on developing further educational programs.