by Linda McCandless
Geneva, NY - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are inviting interested members of the public to Cornell University to one of six grassroots meeting being held across the country to discuss a draft version of a new federal guide on Good Agricultural Practices for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The meeting will be held on Dec. 3, 1997, from 9 am to 4 pm, in the auditorium of Jordan Hall, at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, 630 West North Street, Geneva, NY.
The FDA and USDA are drafting a Good Agricultural Practices guide as part of President Clinton's recently-announced initiative to ensure the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The practices - which would be voluntary - would apply to both the U.S. and its trading partners.
Everyone on the farm to fork continuum - from growers to processors, commodity groups, researchers, food scientists, and producers - are strongly encouraged to attend. Meetings are being held in New York, Michigan, Florida, Texas, California, and Oregon during the first two weeks of December.
"We are strongly committed to an open process that includes a full discussion of the wide range of issues involved in good agricultural practices," said Richard A. Baldwin, Acting Regional Director of the FDA, Northeast Region. "We need public participation and advice to develop the best possible guide."
The Good Agricultural Practices guide will not create new federal requirements or regulations for farmers to meet, but is intended to provide guidance on sound practices that will help minimize microbial contamination of produce. Due to the lowering of trade barriers, the amount of foreign fruits and vegetables coming into the U.S. is increasing, as has the incidence of recent microbial outbreaks that have compromised consumer health. The guide is an effort on the part of the federal government to stem those outbreaks. It will be useful both to U.S. farmers, and foreign farmers who export produce to the U.S.
In 1996, 38% of the fruit and 12% of the vegetables consumed by Americans was imported.
Topics covered in the guide will include control of manure, worker sanitation and health, field and facility sanitation, and transportation and handling. Copies of the guide will be distributed at the meeting. The draft will also be available on the FDA's World Wide Web home page on December 1, 1997.
The guide reflects the current thinking of food safety experts, but organizers are open to other issues or approaches about the guide itself. Participants are encouraged to "think critically" and bring suggestions to the meeting on Dec. 3, 1997.
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