California Ag Network

Tag: FDA

  • FDA Releases Spanish and English Paper-Based Versions of Ag Water Assessment Builder Tool

    The FDA has released paper-based versions of its agricultural water assessment builder tool in both English and Spanish. The agricultural water assessment builder was released in March 2022 as user-friendly, online tool to help farms understand the proposed requirements for an agricultural water assessment in the Agricultural Water Proposed Rule. The paper-based versions of the tool will make the content more accessible to a broader array of users. Use of the online tool, and its paper-based companions, is optional.

    If finalized, the proposed rule would require farms to conduct systems-based agricultural water assessments to determine and guide appropriate measures to minimize potential risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water. The assessment would include an evaluation of the water system, agricultural water use practices, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, potential impacts on source water by activities conducted on adjacent and nearby land, and other relevant factors, such as the results of optional testing. Covered farms would be required to conduct pre-harvest agricultural water assessments annually and whenever a significant change occurs that affects the likelihood that a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard will be introduced into or onto produce or food contact surfaces.

    We welcome feedback on the online and paper-based versions of the tool, such as suggestions related to the tool’s functionality and useability. Feedback on the tool can be sent to agwaterbuilder@fda.hhs.gov.

    For Additional Information

  • FDA Will Not Conduct Broad Sampling of Salinas Valley Leafy Greens in 2022

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not conduct broad sampling of leafy greens grown in the Salinas Valley region of California for the 2022 growing season.

    The decision was made based on data from Western Growers, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture inspection activities.

    The FDA encouraged the organizations to continue to work with the agency to enhance the sharing of industry information on pre-harvest and post-harvest testing as all parties aim to assure the safety of leafy greens.

    “Western Growers is committed to developing and deploying data collection and analytic digital tools to further enhance the sharing of industry information,” said De Ann Davis, WG’s Senior Vice President of Science. “We think this is an encouraging development for our members as we strive to grow the safest produce possible.”

    The FDA notes they are considering risk-based surveillance sampling based on historical data and information from previous outbreaks of foodborne illness and reserves the right to reassess this approach if unforeseen events occur.

  • Guidance for Industry on Enforcement Approach to Human Food with Chlorpyrifos Residues Following EPA Revocations

    Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a guidance document titled Questions and Answers Regarding Channels of Trade Policy for Human Food Commodities with Chlorpyrifos Residues: Guidance for Industry. The guidance is intended to help food producers and processors who handle foods that may contain residues of the pesticide chemical chlorpyrifos. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule on August 30, 2021, revoking all tolerances for chlorpyrifos; these tolerances are set to expire on February 28, 2022.

    This guidance is based on the channels of trade provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and follows the policies explained in the FDA’s 2005 Guidance titled “Guidance for Industry: Channels of Trade Policy for Commodities with Residues of Pesticide Chemicals for Which Tolerances Have Been Revoked, Suspended, or Modified by the Environmental Protection Agency Pursuant to Dietary Risk Considerations.”

    Under the channels of trade provision, after the EPA tolerances expire, a food that contains chlorpyrifos residues is not deemed unsafe solely based on the presence of the residue as long as the chlorpyrifos was applied lawfully and before the tolerance expired, and the residue does not exceed the level permitted by the tolerance that was in place at the time of the application.

    The FDA is responsible for enforcing the EPA pesticide tolerances for domestic and imported foods, with the exception of meat, poultry, Siluriformes fish and fish products (catfish), and certain egg products that are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

    The FDA’s approach has two phases and applies to both raw agricultural commodities and processed foods.

    • Stage 1: The Agency intends to exercise enforcement discretion by not requesting showing documentation for residues complying with previous tolerances for a time period ranging from approximately 6 to 24 months, depending on the specific commodity. This is based on our estimate of how long raw agricultural commodities would remain on the market (e.g., time for growing and postharvest storage, distribution, and sale).
    • Stage 2: The Agency will accept showing documentation that demonstrates that chlorpyrifos was applied before February 28, 2022. If the responsible party does not provide appropriate documentation, the food may be subject to regulatory action.

    The EPA final rule also revokes tolerances applicable to animal foods. Enforcement of residues in animal foods will be addressed by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. Any matter involving USDA regulated foods would be handled by the USDA.

    The FDA has a public docket to receive comments on this guidance. You may submit electronic comments or written comments at any time.

    Public comments can be submitted electronically to https://www.regulations.gov/ using Docket ID: FDA-2016-D-4484. Written comments can be submitted to the Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

    For Additional Information:

  • FDA Resources for Supply Chain Disruption Assistance in Food & Ag

    The FDA has been working closely with the food industry and other government partners throughout the pandemic to continuously monitor the impact of COVID-19. We understand the severe impact the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is having on the food and agriculture industry, including the health and safety of workers and their families. Labor shortages, transportation challenges, packaging shortages, international import delays and severe weather continue to contribute to disruptions in U.S. food supply chains that ultimately impact consumers.

    The FDA would like to share information about access to assistance if you are experiencing supply chain disruptions:

    Report Supply Chain Problems/Request Assistance from the FDA

    Food facilities and farms can continue to report a closure or a reduction in operations and/or request assistance for a human food establishment regulated by the FDA, excluding restaurant, retail food establishments, and animal food operations. Read the full guidance for additional information.

    Report Closure/Reduction and/or Request Assistance

    Food and Agriculture Sector

    The Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) serves as the primary private industry-led policy coordination and planning entity to collaborate with the FDA, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Department of Homeland Security and the Food and Agriculture Government Coordinating Council (GCC), among others, to address the entire range of critical infrastructure security and resilience activities and sector-specific issues.

    If you wish to become involved with, or are a member of the Food and Agriculture SCC, or if your food firm/business is experiencing supply chain disruptions, you may contact the chairman of the SCC, Clay Detlefsen, Esq., Senior Vice President, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs & Staff Counsel; National Milk Producers Federation at cdetlefsen@nmpf.org.

    Temporary Policies

    The FDA has issued temporary guidance to provide regulatory flexibility, where appropriate, to help minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions on product availability associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic.  These temporary policies remain in effect. Details about each appear at the  following links:

    Links to Key Resources

  • New Egg Regulatory Program Standards for Improving Egg and Egg Product Safety

    The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Egg Regulatory Officials (NERO) are announcing a new program for state egg and egg product regulators entitled the Egg Regulatory Program Standards (ERPS). The standards are designed to integrate the regulatory activities of partner agencies into an efficient and effective process for improving egg and egg product safety in the U.S.

    The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act called for enhanced partnerships of government agencies and provides a legal mandate for developing an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS). A key principle of an IFSS is the uniform application of model program standards so that regulatory agencies conduct inspections under the same set of standards. As the U.S. moves toward integrating food safety resources, uniform standards across egg and egg product regulatory programs are critical.

    The program standards are for egg and egg product regulatory programs, not for manufacturers or growers of eggs. The ERPS are comprised of 10 individual standards: regulatory foundation, training program, inspection program, inspection audit program, egg-related illness, outbreak and emergency response, compliance and enforcement program, outreach activities, program resources, program assessment and laboratory support. The 10 standards, designed to strengthen the safety and integrity of the U.S. egg and egg product supply, are also the core elements of a state’s regulatory program. The ERPS will provide a framework that every state can use to determine the strengths and challenges of their program. The ERPS also provide the foundation for mutual reliance on inspections and other work conducted by federal and state agencies.

    Additional information on the ERPS is available on the FDA’s Egg Regulatory Program Standards (ERPS). You may also download a copy of the ERPS. You will need to have a PDF viewer installed on your computer or mobile device. If you do not have a PDF viewer, you can receive an electronic or hard copy of the standards by emailing FDA’s Office of Partnerships at OP.Feedback@fda.hhs.gov.

  • FDA to Hold Public Meetings for Proposed Changes to Ag Water Requirements in Produce Safety Rule

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be holding two virtual public meetings on the recently released proposed rule “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water.” The purpose of the public meetings is to discuss the proposed rule, which was issued under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. These public meetings are intended to facilitate and support the public’s evaluation and commenting process on the proposed rule.

    The public meetings will be held according to the schedule below.  The times for each meeting have been adjusted to provide persons in different regions of the country an opportunity to comment.

    First Virtual Public Meeting
    February 14, 2022
    11:45 am – 7:45 pm EST

    Second Virtual Public Meeting
    February 25, 2022
    8:45 am – 4:45 pm EST

    Registration is required to attend the virtual meetings. Registered participants will receive details on how and when to view the public meetings online.

    Register for the February 14 Meeting

    Register for the February 25 Meeting

    For questions about the meetings, contact Juanita Yates, FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: e-mail Juanita.Yates@fda.hhs.gov. For additional information, see the Federal Register Notice announcing the meetings and the Meeting Page.

  • CA Walnut Board Supports Industry Growth In New Ways With Retail, Research And Advocacy Programs

    During the 2020-2021 crop year, California walnut growers and handlers worked together with the California Walnut Board and California Walnut Commission to advance the industry in new ways. Growers produced a record crop of 785,000 tons, a 20 percent gain over the 2019 crop. The California Walnut Board (CWB) and Commission (CWC) promoted walnuts through marketing campaigns that increased sales, leveraged new CWC-funded health research to sustain consumer interest in walnut consumption, conducted new production and post-harvest research to help maintain competitiveness, and accessed government dollars.

    “In a year where a pandemic has altered so many aspects of the way Americans live and work, the Board’s contributions to the industry have been critical,” says Michelle Connelly, Executive Director of California Walnut Board.

    Retail Campaign Generates Double-Digit Sales Growth

    Retail programs drove sales and consumption during seasonal time periods when walnuts are not typically a priority for consumers. During American Heart Month in February, the CWB worked with retailers nationwide on a campaign to display walnuts with messaging about their heart-health benefits*. With 34 participating retailers, operating 10,400 locations, retailers saw an average sales lift of 22.5 percent. Additionally, television and radio advertising during this program reached 52% of US households.

    In May through August, a summer snacking campaign signed-on 26 retailers with 7,400 locations to execute in-store promotions and specials. The first-of-its-kind snacking-focused program encouraged retailers to think of new ways to promote walnuts by tying into the consumer trend. Retail elements were supported with consumer outreach, and the average US consumer saw the message on walnuts and snacking six times. The campaign drove year-over-year walnut sales increases, when comparing the summer months.

    Production Research Delivers Short- and Long-Term Benefits

    The CWB continued investment in research programs to maintain competitiveness in walnut production and processing, as well as invested in applied projects that directly benefit immediate grower needs. Topics including pest management, food safety, product quality, and more were prevalent in these programs. UC Davis’ CWB-funded walnut breeding program released a new varietal, UC Wolfskill, in hopes of finding more desirable traits such as a late leafing, early harvesting Chandler-like variety.

    The CWB Grades and Standards Committee approved 11 post-harvest research projects, three of which are exploring byproduct utilization for the walnut industry to add further value across the supply chain while promoting sustainability. The Committee also funded a project to develop methods and a database to help differentiate walnuts from various origins and cultivators which can help preserve the integrity and reputation of California walnuts.

    “Our research programs are key in providing growers and handlers the resources they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive space,” says Connelly.

    Steps Taken to Increase Efficiencies and Mitigate Market Disruptions

    In September, the CWB voted to suspend the mandatory outbound inspections of walnuts to mitigate market disruptions like labor shortages or shipping constraints, while reducing redundancies. The suspension brings further efficiencies to the industry, while allowing resources to be saved.

    “The Federal Marketing Order rules governing inspections are obsolete as market and customer quality demands have since surpassed USDA grade standards,” added Connelly. “The Board’s vote to suspend the inspections stands to benefit both producers and processors.”

    CWC and CWB Do More Together to Advance Industry

    In lock step with the CWB, CWC activities also contributed to and supported the industry throughout the year. As a result of the Commission’s efforts, walnut growers received over $85MM in direct payments from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) 1 alone and millions more through CFAP 2. Ensuring the walnut industry’s voice was heard, the CWC, as part of a coalition, also worked with sectors of the CA government to urge lawmakers in the Department of Pesticide Regulations to not increase mill tax for at least two years.

    Furthermore, 17 scientific papers published that were funded or supported by the CWC, including findings in the areas of heart health, cognition, gut health and longevity. Sharing those health findings with health professionals and reporters resulted in 431 articles mentioning the health benefits of walnuts in mainstream media. The average US consumer saw the message 22 times.

    Connelly shared more about why a robust, ongoing health research program is important, “Health is a top reason why consumers eat walnuts and demands are always evolving. New research discovers breakthrough results and makes important health advancements.”

    Growers who want to learn more about how the CWB/CWC are doing more for the walnut industry are encouraged to sign up for newsletters to hear directly from the Board, follow our social channels on LinkedIn and @GrowCAWalnuts on Facebook, and learn more at walnuts.org/walnut-industry.

    *Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. (FDA) One ounce of walnuts offers 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid – the plant-based omega-3.

    About the California Walnut Board

    The California Walnut Board (CWB) was established in 1948 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. The CWB is funded by mandatory assessments of the handlers. The CWB is governed by a Federal Walnut Marketing Order. The CWB promotes usage of walnuts in the United States through publicity and educational programs. The CWB also provides funding for walnut production, food safety and post-harvest research.

    About the California Walnut Commission

    The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The CWC represents over 4,800 growers and approximately 90 handlers (processors) of California walnuts in export market development activities and conducts health research. The CWC is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

  • FDA Releases Plan, Independent Review to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response

    Foodborne disease remains a significant public health problem in the United States. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan to enhance the speed, effectiveness, coordination, and communication of investigations into outbreaks of foodborne illness. The goal is to improve our ability to identify the sources and causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. These improvements will help to reduce the number of foodborne outbreaks that go unsolved and ultimately bend the curve of foodborne illness in this country.

    This Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan is intended to work in concert with FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, which outlines specific approaches the FDA will take over the next decade to address food safety in the rapidly changing food system. It focuses on tech-enabled traceability, root cause analysis, outbreak data, and operational improvements.

    Observations by and recommendations from FDA leadership and staff across the foods program played a key role in the development of the outbreak improvement plan. The plan was also informed by an independent review of the FDA’s structural and functional capacity to support, participate in, or lead multistate foodborne illness outbreak investigation activities.

    The plan, which is focused on outbreaks associated with human food, is divided into four priority areas:

    • Tech-enabled product traceback, focusing on ways to routinely digitize the process of tracing foods to their source.
    • Root cause investigations, working to systemize, expedite and share the results of FDA investigations into the cause of a food contamination.
    • Analysis and dissemination of outbreak data to increase the transparency of outbreak investigations.
    • Operational improvements to streamline processes and create performance measures.

    In early 2022, a webinar will be held to walk stakeholders through the plan and to respond to questions.

    For More Information

  • FDA Final Rule Threatens to Remove Popular Yogurt Products from Grocery Store Shelves and Harm Dairy Foods Makers

    Dr. Joseph Scimeca, Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), issued the following statement on IDFA’s formal objection to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration final rule to amend and modernize the standard of identity for yogurt:

    “After 40 years of waiting since FDA first issued standards for yogurt, the FDA dropped a new final rule on the standard of identity for yogurt in late June, underscoring a lack of transparency in the FDA rulemaking process. Because the rulemaking process has been so severely delayed and because the agency has consulted very little with yogurt makers, the final rule is already out of date before it takes effect. For the most part, FDA relied on comments submitted 12 or more years ago to formulate its final rule—as if technology has not progressed or as if the yogurt making process itself has been trapped in amber like a prehistoric fossil.

    “Although the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), which represents the nation’s yogurt makers, has been offering feedback or assistance to the FDA since it released its initial proposed rule in 2009, the agency has largely ignored our comments and suggested revisions to ensure a modernized standard. The result is a yogurt standard that is woefully behind the times and doesn’t match the reality of today’s food processing environment or the expectations of consumers. Unfortunately, IDFA has been left with no reasonable options except filing a formal objection to this final rule and imploring the agency to revisit the final rule to amend and truly modernize the standard of identity for yogurt.”

    Background on Rulemaking for Standard of Identity for Yogurt

    In June, FDA announced the issuance of the long-awaited final rule to amend and modernize the standard of identity for yogurt. Updates to the yogurt standard of identity have been pending at the FDA since 1982 when FDA stayed several major provisions of its 1981 final rule first establishing standards for yogurt. These stays were in response to objections filed at the time also by the industry. Dairy foods makers then began petitioning FDA to update the standard in 2000—more than 20 years ago. Finalization of this rule has been a priority for the IDFA for many years. While there has been very little outreach by FDA over these 20 years, IDFA has submitted comments, offered revisions and technical assistance, and made our dairy foods experts available. IDFA has continued to request updates on the status of the rule and stressed the importance of modernizing and finalizing the standard in a timely way.

    The compliance date of this final rule is January 1, 2024, which is the uniform compliance date for final food labeling regulations issued in 2021 and 2022.

    FDA says that publishing this final rule is a part of the FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy, one of the goals of which is to modernize food standards to maintain the basic nature and nutritional integrity of products while allowing food makers more flexibility for innovation. The final rule hits the mark in some areas and misses badly in others. For example, the final rule consolidates three separate standards—for yogurt, lowfat yogurt and nonfat yogurt—into one standard of identity for yogurt, allowing food makers to nutritionally modify traditional standardized yogurt and then to communicate those modifications to consumers via label descriptions, product names and appropriate claims, such as “lowfat yogurt”. This seems reasonable. However, the final rule also expands the allowable ingredients in yogurt in some instances and adds confusing restrictions in others. FDA accepted industry suggestions and establishes a minimum amount of live and active cultures for yogurt containers to bear the labeling statement “contains live and active cultures” or a similar statement. The final rule also allows manufacturers to fortify yogurts, such as by adding vitamins A and D, provided they meet minimum fortification requirements, which also aligns with IDFA’s requests; however, the minimum fortification requirements are two to three times higher than standards for most dairy products and conflict with FDA’s own vitamin D regulations.

    There is a wide range of yogurts of different flavors, protein levels, sugar and sweetener content, and milkfat content on grocery store shelves today, underscoring the variety that consumers want. IDFA and its members have long advocated for having a standard that reflects what consumers are eating today and flexible enough to allow for reasonable innovation tomorrow.

    IDFA made several attempts to convey and explain recommended revisions to a 2009 proposed rule, but several of these, which would have aligned with current industry practices and allowed room for innovation, were not included in this revised standard.

    To protect the products in the marketplace that consumers want and recognize as yogurt, IDFA has submitted a formal objection to specific provisions of FDA’s final rule, including the following:

    • Baseless and overly prescriptive limitations around what ingredients can be added after fermentation, such as cream, which fail to recognize that milk fat in cream contributes the same general properties to yogurt regardless of whether added before or after fermentation.
    • Restrictions related to the required acidity and pH of the yogurt that, as written, could result in popular and traditional “cup-set” style yogurt products to be discontinued along with other styles.
    • Conflicting new requirements that would deter yogurt makers from voluntarily adding vitamin D to yogurts, which companies have done for decades and hope to continue.
    • IDFA supports clear disclosure of non-nutritive sweeteners on labels where consumers are used to looking for this information in the ingredient declaration. However, the final rule doesn’t allow the use of non-nutritive sweeteners unless nutrient content claims, such as “reduced calories,” are used on the label. IDFA believes this requirement will drive innovation in the yogurt industry away from the manufacture of standard of identity yogurt towards non-standardized products. Further, the requirement runs counter to recommendations made in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), when the agency should be incentivizing yogurt makers toward nutritionally-enhanced products consistent with the DGAs.

    Additionally, regarding FDA’s general rulemaking process used to develop this new standard for yogurt, IDFA has the following strong concerns:

    • There has been a clear lack of urgency and transparency in the regulatory process, as well as a lack of outreach by FDA to dairy foods makers to ensure the agency has up-to-date information thus resulting in standards that don’t reflect current industry practice.
    • FDA staff and managers must be more responsive and accountable to the pressing needs of the food industry that depend on timely guidance and promulgation of regulations that reflect long-established and traditional yogurt-making processes and enable the adoption of technologies and innovations needed to meet rapidly changing consumer needs.
    • FDA’s lack of transparency in the creation of guidance and regulations can and often does result in requirements that are inconsistent with industry practices and that limit or prevent the ability to produce food products that satisfy consumer expectations yet still meet the basic and essential characteristics of the food.
    • Closer collaboration between the FDA and the industry is essential for the development of guidance and regulations that are pragmatic yet sufficiently flexible to allow for expanded consumer choice and the implementation of new innovations that may arise in the years to come.

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.3 million jobs that generate $41.6 billion in direct wages and $753 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent 90 percent of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.

  • FDA Releases Findings Following 2020 Outbreak Linked to Central Valley Peaches

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report on its investigation of the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in Peaches. The FDA and multiple state and federal partners investigated an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections that were linked to the consumption of peaches during the summer of 2020. In total, the outbreak caused 101 reported illnesses across 17 states, including 28 hospitalizations. This appears to be the first time a Salmonella outbreak has been linked to peaches.

    The FDA conducted this investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state partners, and Canadian public health officials between August and October 2020. The epidemiological and traceback investigation determined that peaches packed or supplied by a large grower/producer were the likely source of the outbreak. The traceback evidence informed and helped to prioritize two subsequent investigations of peach packing/holding operations and peach orchards in Cutler, Kerman, and Sanger, California.  The large grower/producer cooperated with FDA throughout the investigation and is continuing to engage with FDA on the agency’s findings and recommendations.

    Investigators conducted over 700 tests on environmental, peach, and peach tree leaf samples.  While no test results matched the 2020 outbreak strain, four tests conducted on peach and peach tree leaf samples collected from an orchard adjacent to a poultry operation yielded positives for Salmonella Alachua which were further linked via whole genome sequencing (WGS) to 2019 and 2020 chicken isolates. This finding prompted a follow-up investigation more closely focused on growing areas and a voluntary recall by the firm, preventing the tested, contaminated product from reaching the market. During the follow-up investigation, two tests of peach tree leaf samples collected from orchards adjacent to a cattle feedlot yielded positives for Salmonella Montevideo that were genetically similar via WGS to 2018-2020 beef and cattle isolates.

    While investigators did not find the outbreak strain, and the strains of Salmonella found during this outbreak were not linked to any clinical illnesses, the investigational findings reinforce the FDA’s concern about the potential impact that adjacent land uses can have on the safety of produce.

    The FDA views the implementation of appropriate science- and risk-based measures to reduce the potential for contamination of peaches and other produce as the most effective and practicable means to improve the safety of fresh produce, especially when measures are tailored to the specific practices and conditions on individual farms. The FDA encourages all growers to be cognizant of and assess risks that may be posed by adjacent and nearby land uses, including for the potential impact of dust exposure. The FDA also recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment when it comes to public health outcomes, and we encourage collaboration among various groups in the broader agricultural community (e.g., produce growers, those managing animal operations, state and federal government agencies, and academia) to address this issue.

    For additional information