FDA helps play it safe with produce

March 14, 2007
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a guide advising processors of fresh-cut produce how to minimize microbial food safety hazards common in processing most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a guide advising processors of fresh-cut produce how to minimize microbial food safety hazards common in processing most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Entitled Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables, this document suggests that fresh-cut processors consider a food safety program such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. This system is designed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce microbial, chemical, and physical hazards associated with food production.

This guidance recommends that processors encourage adoption of safe practices by others in the supply chain. These include produce growers, packers, distributors, transporters, importers, exporters, retailers, foodservice operators, and consumers. The practices include:

--Establishing a company policy that employees report any active case of illness to supervisors before beginning work and training.

--Training supervisors to recognize typical signs/symptoms of infectious disease; maintain the proper first aid to protect and cover any wound; and not allow an employee to work with any aspect of fresh or fresh-cut produce, processing equipment, or tools until the wound has healed and/or the infectious disease has been treated.

More information on safe handling practices of produce can be found at www.fightbac.org.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

What challenges are top of mind for fleet professionals in 2025? Get exclusive insights from the 2025 Fleet Trends Survey and discover where the industry is headed next.
The most successful fleets accomplish more than delivering freight. To accomplish this, fleets need a fuel that’s reliable, more economical and more sustainable. That fuel is ...
Are your KPIs driving real fleet improvement? Learn how to set smarter, data-driven benchmarks, track success like top-performing fleets, and apply proven strategies to optimize...
Learn how eets can enhance truck utilization and minimize safety incidents using business intelligence and AI. Delve into innovative practices, technology integration and real...