Jim O'Hara, Director of the Produce Safety Project, issued the following statement:
The Food and Drug Administration's announcement that it plans to issue proposed regulations for fresh produce safety by October 2010 is a significant public health victory for American families and farmers.
By setting clear, mandatory and enforceable standards that are aimed at preventing contamination, the FDA is signaling that voluntary guidelines in this area have not done the job. Given the importance of fruits and vegetable to our diets, a science-based approach to food safety will improve our health and increase confidence in the foods we serve our families.
The Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, 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 the Produce Safety Project's Web site.
Pew is no longer active in this line of work, but for more information visit the Produce Safety Project's Web site, or visit the Produce Safety Project on PewHealth.org.