New Tool for Lettuce Safety

To help the fresh-produce industry fight pathogen contamination and ensure the highest levels of food safety, the International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA), Alexandria, VA, Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Newark, DE, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association (United), Washington, DC, and Western Growers (WG), Newport Beach, CA, released "Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Lettuce and Leafy Greens Supply Chain." It was created in response to a 2004 FDA food-safety action plan that requested produce-industry leadership develop the next generation of food-safety guidance for fruit and vegetable production.

The comprehensive document provides food-safety guidance for the entire lettuce and leafy greens supply chain, starting with production and harvest, and continuing through postharvest, fresh-cut and value-added, distribution, and end-user handling operations. Developed by a group of leading produce food-safety experts and representatives of operations in the industry, it identifies specific food-safety guidance to lettuce growers, shippers, packers, processors, transportation providers, retailers and foodservice operators.

Acting as a guideline for individual concerns to adapt to their businesses, the goal is to prevent microbial contamination at all steps, from production to distribution. The human pathogens most often associated with produce are Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. Because these cause illness by a fecal/oral route of food contamination, food-safety programs should pay special attention to controlling, reducing and eliminating potential contamination from domestic and wild animals, as well as humans.

"This first edition of the Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidance is an important part of a comprehensive approach to further enhancing the safety of the food supply," says Hank Giclas, WG vice president, science and technology. "Our trade associations are also collaborating to improve communication between government and industry food safety experts, bring meaningful education and outreach to the industry and support research to improve food safety. The guidelines are a living, breathing document and will be updated periodically to reflect changing industry practice or new scientific knowledge."

The document, "Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Lettuce and Leafy Greens Supply Chain," is now available at www.fresh-cuts.org, www.pma.com, www.uffva.org and www.wga.com, respectively the websites of IFPA, PMA, United and WG.