In testimony given before the US Food and Drug Administration, leaders from the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association (United) called for FDA’s draft Produce Safety Action Plan to become part of the industry’s efforts to minimise foodborne illnesses associated with fresh fruits and vegetables.

“The fresh produce industry, at every level of distribution, rates food safety as its top priority,” said PMA president Bryan Silbermann. “A strong food safety chain is as strong as its weakest link, and we as an industry work daily to strengthen those links against contamination by pathogens. Including every link is the only way we can build a strong chain that uses the foundation of what has already been done, supplements it where needed, and pulls it all together into a cohesive approach.

“We want to see FDA’s plan become part of our ongoing effort to enhance food safety programs for the entire produce supply chain, including consumers, and we’re proud to be involved. We are committed to seeing it through.”

Tom Stenzel, president and ceo of United, said: “The produce industry is constantly striving toward perfection in food safety as our number one priority. Food safety is not just a legal responsibility of everyone throughout the distribution chain, it is our moral responsibility.

“Science forces us to recognise that zero risk is not possible with a product grown in nature, that’s often handled by food preparers and customers along the line, and that’s enjoyed by consumers in its fresh and natural form without cooking. But the potential of even one child getting sick forces us to do everything we possibly can to prevent that occurrence.”

The stated goals of the FDA plan are to prevent contamination; minimise the public health impact when contamination occurs; improve communication with everyone in the supply chain; and facilitate and support research relevant to produce production and handling.

Silbermann called for FDA to focus its plan on areas of greatest risk and to develop solutions based on science. “Common sense tells us that we do not live in a risk-free world. That does not relieve anyone of the responsibility to continually enhance food safety practices, but it does tell us that some efforts will have a greater impact on public health than others. To be truly meaningful, what comes out of FDA’s plan must make a difference to public health,” he stated.

Stenzel added: “Today, our industry is proud to serve Americans over one billion servings a day of healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables. When outbreaks of illness do occur, they are rare compared to that level of consumption. We are committed to reducing rare occurrences to extremely rare occurrences. And as science and experience allow us, we hope to drive extremely rare to obsolete.”

In the Produce Safety Action Plan, FDA recognises that produce is an “important component of a healthy diet because it is a source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, and it plays an important role in weight management as well.”

“The number one public health recommendation for Americans when it comes to nutrition is to eat five to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables,” stated Stenzel. “FDA’s and CDC’s parent agency the Department of Health and Human Services promotes the critical importance of eating a wide variety of produce in preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and more. And now, our nation is faced with an obesity crisis that literally demands that we eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and further diseases. We simply have no choice but to deliver the safest possible produce to consumers every day,” Stenzel concluded.

Silbermann also reminded all health officials to guard against frightening consumers away from the very foods that enhance their health. “Characterising the entire category of ‘fresh produce’ as a culprit in anything is irresponsible. So it is critical for public health authorities and the industry to identify problems, should they occur, as quickly as possible and ensure that accurate, specific information is communicated to the public.

“It is dangerous to offer broad generalisations using phrases such as ‘fresh produce’ or ‘salad items’ in the event of an outbreak. To do so does not tell the public how to protect itself. Using broad brushstrokes only serves to perplex consumers,” he said.

For questions or information on this issue, please contact Kathy Means, PMA’s vice president of government affairs at kmeans@pma.com or Donna Garren, United’s vice president, scientific and technical affairs at dgarren@uffva.org