FDA Announces Public Meeting on Draft 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice announcing that it will hold a public meeting on June 29, 2004 in College Park, MD to elicit information from stakeholders concerning key elements of the draft version of FDA's new produce safety action plan entitled, Produce Safety from Production to Consumption: An Action Plan to Minimize Foodborne Illness Associated with Fresh Produce.
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FDA sources have confirmed that this draft document has not yet been posted to the FDA Web site. However, FDA states that the document will soon be posted at http://www.foodsafety.gov/dms/fs-toc.html. FDA explains that this draft document continues a produce and imported food safety initiative that began in 1997 and builds on experiences from other earlier efforts.
FDA Seeks Input on Specific List of Questions Associated with Draft Action Plan
According to the FDA, the draft of the 2004 produce action plan addresses all principal points between the farm and table where contamination of produce could occur. It covers fresh fruit and vegetables in their native form and raw, minimally processed products, i.e., raw, pre-cut, or fresh-cut fruits and vegetables that have received some processing to alter their form (such as peeling, slicing, chopping, shredding, coring, trimming, or mashing), but have not been subject to a thermal process that would reduce, control, or eliminate, microbial hazards. FDA states that the draft action plan is not intended to cover processed products such as juice, or agricultural products other than fruits and vegetables, such as tree nuts.
FDA's requests that those who speak at the meeting or otherwise provide their comments focus on a list of questions set out in the notice. These questions include (partial list):
What concepts or underlying principles should guide the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan? Are the seven objectives in the working draft appropriate for achieving the overarching goal to minimize foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce?
What major practices contribute to the contamination of fresh produce by harmful pathogens? What intervention strategies will prevent, reduce, or control this contamination?
-see FDA's notice for details of how to register for the June 29, 2004 meeting
-written or electronic comments may be submitted until July 24, 2004
FDA Contact - Amy Green (301) 436-2025
FDA notice (D/N 2004N-0258, FR Pub 06/15/04) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-13544.pdf