Federal regulators have issued their first major update in nearly two decades to how companies that chop, bag, and package fresh produce are expected to keep pathogens out of it. The Food and Drug Administration released the final version of its Guide to Minimize Biological Hazards in Ready-to-Eat Fresh-Cut Produce on August 11, and the Federal Register notice announcing the guidance was published the following day.
The document runs about 80 pages and covers sanitation, produce washing and antimicrobial wash solutions, time and temperature control, safe water, facility design, employee training, and supply chain controls. It supersedes guidance issued in 2008 and finalizes a draft the agency first put out in October 2018.
