FDA issues draft fresh-cut produce guidelines
FDA issues draft fresh-cut produce guidelines
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has just released its long-awaited guidelines for the fresh-cut produce industry, which appear to mirror the industry's own food-safety control measures, according to the International Fresh-cut Produce Association.
"Fresh-cut produce is the fastest-growing sector of the fresh produce industry. This document should help to improve safety by providing clearer guidance on how to reduce health hazards that are potentially introduced during the production process," Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said in a statement March 1 when releasing the document.
The draft document, Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables, recommends the best ways to keep produce clean, from employee hygiene to sanitation controls throughout the packaging, storage and transportation of the products. The final chapters provide recommendations on recordkeeping and on recalls and tracebacks.
The guide is written to complement FDAs current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations by providing specific guidance on the processing of fresh-cut produce.
FDA did an excellent job in outlining practical measures for the fresh-cut industry, said David Gombas of the association. This is very consistent with what the manufacturers in fresh-cut are doing already.
IFPA is distributing the new document to its members and is planning to convene experts in the field to provide comments to FDA. Dr. Gombas, who had only read two-thirds of the guidelines when he spoke with The Produce News, said that FDA has done a good job of weaving information from the industry into the document.
It looks like they did their homework, he added. FDA recommends that processors encourage the adoption of safe practices by their partners throughout the supply chain, including produce growers, packers, distributors, transporters, importers, exporters, retailers, foodservice operators, and consumers, to ensure that the processors efforts will be enhanced.
FDA also called on companies to include policies that encourage employees to report any active case of illness to supervisors before beginning work and training. Supervisors also should be trained to recognize symptoms of infectious disease and not allow workers to handle fresh-cut produce if they have wounds.
Written comments on the draft guidance are due to the FDA in 60 days.
"Fresh-cut produce is the fastest-growing sector of the fresh produce industry. This document should help to improve safety by providing clearer guidance on how to reduce health hazards that are potentially introduced during the production process," Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said in a statement March 1 when releasing the document.
The draft document, Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables, recommends the best ways to keep produce clean, from employee hygiene to sanitation controls throughout the packaging, storage and transportation of the products. The final chapters provide recommendations on recordkeeping and on recalls and tracebacks.
The guide is written to complement FDAs current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations by providing specific guidance on the processing of fresh-cut produce.
FDA did an excellent job in outlining practical measures for the fresh-cut industry, said David Gombas of the association. This is very consistent with what the manufacturers in fresh-cut are doing already.
IFPA is distributing the new document to its members and is planning to convene experts in the field to provide comments to FDA. Dr. Gombas, who had only read two-thirds of the guidelines when he spoke with The Produce News, said that FDA has done a good job of weaving information from the industry into the document.
It looks like they did their homework, he added. FDA recommends that processors encourage the adoption of safe practices by their partners throughout the supply chain, including produce growers, packers, distributors, transporters, importers, exporters, retailers, foodservice operators, and consumers, to ensure that the processors efforts will be enhanced.
FDA also called on companies to include policies that encourage employees to report any active case of illness to supervisors before beginning work and training. Supervisors also should be trained to recognize symptoms of infectious disease and not allow workers to handle fresh-cut produce if they have wounds.
Written comments on the draft guidance are due to the FDA in 60 days.
