The FDA has released final food safety guidance for sprout producers. Sprouts are a food that has been linked to several infectious disease outbreaks in recent years.
This document details recommendations on how sprout businesses can comply with the Sprout portion of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, which establishes science-based standards for safe produce production and harvesting. It is listed.
Topics covered in the final guidance on sprout production include cleaning, disinfection, agricultural water use, seeds for germination, environmental monitoring, and record-keeping.
The Food and Drug Administration also released a revised draft of a second guidance document that includes a section on pathogen testing of used germination irrigation water.
Between 1996 and 2020, the FDA reported 52 foodborne illness outbreaks associated with sprouts, which are produced in conditions ideal for pathogen growth. This outbreak involved a variety of microorganisms, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli. The incident infected at least 2,700 people, hospitalized 200 people, and resulted in three deaths.
Outbreak investigations have often shown contaminated seeds to be the source of contamination, but other factors have also been discovered. These factors included poor sanitation and unhygienic production practices in sprout production facilities.
The 2023 Final Guidance, the first guidance document released yesterday, updates and finalizes the following sections of the guidelines: January 2017 Draft Guidance Recommendations for Compliance with and Implementation of Standards for Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding Agricultural Products for Human Consumption in Sprout Operations Entitled:
- cleaning and disinfection
- Agricultural water used in the sprout business
- seeds for germination
- environmental monitoring
- Record preservation
Second information (2023 Draft Guidance) to republish certain sections of the . January 2017 Draft Guidance And we are publishing one new section on germination operations as revised draft guidance. The following updated and new sections of the revised draft guidance are currently accepting comments:
- equipment, tools, buildings
- Sampling and testing of used sprout irrigation water (or sprouts in process)
- Employee qualifications, training, and hygiene practices
These sections have been revised to align with information in other relevant guidance documents, incorporate additional information and comments received by the agency, and to better consolidate and organize the information within the guidance. The revised draft guidance is open for comment and includes information regarding non-O157:H7 pathogenic E. coli testing of used germination irrigation water or in-process germination that germination operations currently conduct (including test kit name). I am interested in receiving. (Applicable).
To submit a comment
You can submit your comments at any time regulation.gov or Docket Management Staff (HFA-305) at the Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All written comments must be identified by docket number FDA-2017-D-0175 and the title of the guidance document. Comments on the revised draft guidance must be submitted to the Federal Register within 180 days to ensure that they are considered during the development of the final guidance.
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