Issue View | Council III | 2020 Biennial Meeting

This is a brand new Issue.

PWWC - Issue 2: Approval and Posting of Guidance Document.

The Produce Wash Water Committee was re-created at the 2018 Biennial Meeting. The Committee was charged to develop a Produce Washing and Crisping Guidance Document for Retail Food Establishments. This Committee completed the charges assigned. The Committee is requesting for the Conference for Food Protection to post the created "Guide for Washing and Crisping Whole, Raw Fruits and Vegetables at Retail Food Establishments" guidance document on their website.

Whole or fresh-cut produce may contain pathogenic microorganisms and at times have been associated with foodborne illness and outbreaks. Efforts have been undertaken by the produce industry and regulators (e.g., FSMA and the Produce Safety Rule) to minimize the risk of contamination of fresh produce. However, without a "kill step" a potential risk remains. In the event that contaminated product is received into a food establishment, washing and crisping practices introduce an additional risk. In food establishments, produce is washed before being cut, etc. as per the recommendation of the 2017 FDA Food Code, but it should be noted that washing has a limited effect on removing pathogens from the produce surface. When produce items are submerged in water the chance for cross-contamination presents a public health risk. Further, the practice of crisping could introduce an additional risk since contaminated water may internalize pathogens during the crisping process. When other procedures such as washing/sanitizing the sink before use are not followed, food contact surfaces can also contribute to cross-contamination. Taken together, these practices demonstrate the need to consider additional or alternative efforts to reduce the risks associated with fresh produce handling practices at food establishments.

1. Approval of the committee document entitled "Guide for Washing and Crisping Whole, Raw Fruits and Vegetables at Retail Food Establishments" (attached to Issue titled: PWWC - Issue 1 Report of Produce Wash Water Committee);
2. Authorizing the Conference to make any necessary edits prior to posting the document to assure consistency of format and non-technical content; edits will not affect the technical content of the document; and
3. Posting the guidance document on the CFP website in a downloadable PDF format.