Fresh-Cut Guidance Goes Final

FDA has announced the availability of a final guidance document entitled Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables. Previously, FDA announced the availability of the fresh-cut guidance as a draft final document, pending approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the information collection provisions in the guidance. FDA is publishing this notice to announce that the fresh-cut guidance is now final. The text of the guidance has not changed from the previously published draft final version. The fresh-cut guidance complements FDAs current GMP requirements for foods by providing specific guidance on the processing of fresh-cut produce.

As noted in the introduction to the guidance document, the fresh-cut sector is one of the fastest-growing segments of the produce industry. But from 1996 to 2006, 72 foodborne illness outbreaks were associated with the consumption of fresh produce, with 25% of those involving fresh-cut produce.

This guidance document, along with current GMP regulations, is intended to help fresh-cut ready-to-eat (RTE) fruit and vegetable processorsboth domestic companies and those importing fresh-cut produce into the United Statesmaintain an environment to minimize any risk of microbial food-safety hazards.