Food safety regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should not vary based on operational size, according to comments submitted to FDA by United Fresh this week. The comments refer to a potential regulation on fresh produce food safety, asserting that public health is not best served by exempting operations simply on the basis of size.

"Food safety hazards and risks may vary by commodity, region and growing/handling practices," said United Fresh in the comments, "… but not on size of operation."

FDA received over 600 submissions from the public since soliciting comments last February. United Fresh members met by teleconference and deliberated several times on how best to respond to FDA's 14 specific questions before submitting the final version last week.

"An FDA regulation on preventive controls for fresh produce will have a significant impact on our industry," said Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president for food safety and technology at United Fresh. "FDA is to be commended for their early and extended outreach to the industry and all stakeholders on how best to craft such a regulation. United Fresh members took the opportunity seriously in their deliberations and comments to FDA. With these comments, we look forward to a practical and effective proposed rule from FDA that meets our long-stated objectives of being 'based on a commodity-specific, risk-based approach, based on the best available science; consistent and applicable to the identified commodity or commodity sector, no matter where grown or packaged in the U.S., or imported into the country; and federally mandated with sufficient federal oversight of compliance in order to be credible to consumers.'"

For more on United's work on food safety, visit www.unitedfresh.org.