Statement by Jim O'Hara, Director, Produce Safety Project, in response to the FDA's Announcement Regarding Guidance on Produce Safety

We commend the FDA for moving forward on initiatives to improve the safety of fresh produce.  The proposed guidance documents  put out for comment today address  three of the highest-risk commodities, and we hope that the agency will finalize these documents quickly.  We also look forward to the agency's next steps regarding produce safety: issuance of proposed regulations.  Science-based, risk-based, enforceable safety standards will restore consumer confidence in foods that are key components of a healthy diet.
 
For more information visit here.
 
. . .

The Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University seeks the establishment by the Food and Drug Administration of mandatory and enforceable safety standards for domestic and imported fresh produce, from farm to fork. Our families need to have confidence that federal food safety regulation is based on prevention, scientifically sound risk assessment and management, and coordinated integrated data collection. For more information online, visit www.producesafetyproject.org.