Food safety update.

AMI, in conjunction with Penn State and the Mushroom Council, is planning a "Food Safety Summit" to bring the mushroom industry together to discuss this timely and critical topic.

On March 13, the Food and Drug Administration issued an updated "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables," which contains nonbinding recommendations. This guidance is intended for all fresh-cut produce processing firms to enhance the safety of fresh-cut produce by minimizing microbial food safety hazards. This guidance does not set binding requirements or identify all possible preventive measures to minimize microbial food safety hazards.

FDA recommends that each fresh-cut produce processor assess the recommendations and then tailor its food safety practices to the processor's particular operation. Alternative approaches that minimize microbial food safety hazards may be used so long as they are consistent with applicable laws and regulations. This guidance primarily addresses microbiological hazards and appropriate control measures for such hazards. However, some chapters in the guidance discuss physical and chemical hazards. It can be accessed at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodgui3.html

FDA also has a "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables," found at http://www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/prodguid.html This guidance document addresses microbial food safety hazards and good agricultural and management practices common to the growing, harvesting, washing, sorting, packing, and transporting of most fruits and vegetables sold to consumers in an unprocessed or minimally processed (raw) form.

Most important, all mushroom growers, packers and shippers should be familiar with and initiate the AMI/PSU-developed, "Guidelines for Developing a Mushroom Good Agricultural Practices Program--Food Safety Standards for Growing Fresh Mushrooms" found at: http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/mush/MGAPs_Program_2005.pdf

Additional information on mushroom food safety can be found at the Penn State food safety Web site: http://foodsafety.psu.edu/mush/foodsafety.htm If you have suggestions for the Summit, please contact the AMI Washington office, 202/842-4344.