Minimizing foodborne illness associated with fresh produce--FDA's proposed 0.

A number of factors can be involved in the contamination of fresh produce with pathogens that can cause foodborne illness, including agricultural water quality, the use of manure as fertilizer, the presence of animals in fields or packing areas, and the health and hygiene of workers handling the produce during production, packing, or preparation. The fact that produce is often consumed raw without any type of intervention to control or eliminate pathogens prior to consumption contributes to its potential as a source of foodborne illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that in the 1990s, at least 12 percent of foodborne-outbreak-associated illnesses were linked to fresh-produce items. Given the importance of produce consumption and its central role in a healthy diet, it is imperative that the number of foodborne-illness cases associated with produce be reduced.

Reducing foodborne illness associated with fresh produce consumption will require a collaborative effort by FDA, its federal food safety partners such as the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FDA's counterparts in foreign governments, state and local agencies, the private sector (including relevant trade associations), and consumers.

The overarching goal of FDA's proposed Action Plan is to minimize foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce. To achieve this goal, the proposed Action Plan has four general objectives:

* prevent contamination of fresh produce;

* minimize the public health impact when contamination of fresh produce occurs;

* improve communication with producers, preparers, and consumers about fresh produce; and

* facilitate and support research relevant to fresh produce.

FDA's proposed Action Plan identifies steps that could contribute to the achievement of each objective.

The proposed Action Plan is designed to target microbial food safety hazards (such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites) in or on produce consumed in the United States, whether produced in this country or abroad. FDA believes that each entity involved in producing, packing, processing, distributing, or preparing fresh produce has a responsibility to conduct its activities so as to reduce, control, or eliminate microbial contamination of produce. Thus, the proposed Action Plan extends to all parts of the food chain--from farm through retail or consumer preparation and consumption--and is intended to cover fresh fruits and vegetables, both those in their unpeeled, natural form and those that have received some minimal processing (such as peeling, chopping, or trimming). The proposed Action Plan is not intended to cover frozen fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable juices, or other commodities such as tree nuts that are neither fruits nor vegetables and are not typically regarded as produce.

FDA welcomes suggestions about how to determine, after the Action Plan is implemented, whether the plan has had a concrete, positive effect on the public health risks presented by the consumption of fresh produce.

For more information, visit www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/prodplan.html.