"Fresh and fresh-cut produce presents a unique set of risks and consequences for controls, compared with other ready-to-eat foods, as noted in the comments submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by United Fresh Produce Association on April 7 of this year. Thus, many of the recommendations in the guidance are not appropriate for these products." These and other concerns were among the opening remarks made by the Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention (Alliance) in recent revisions submitted to FDA’s Draft Guidance for Industry: Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Refrigerated or Frozen Ready-to-eat Foods. The Alliance is a coalition of food trade associations–including United Fresh–that represents the fresh and fresh-cut produce industry. The Alliance recognized that the FDA draft guidance included recommendations that would not be practical for many food processing operations and compiled a sampling of control procedures that have worked to share with the Department. The Alliance also agreed with the United Fresh viewpoint that while fresh-cut operations should be vigilant in preventing Listeria from becoming entrenched in the processing environment, the one-size-fits-all approach recommended by FDA would not be appropriate. United Fresh further recommended deleting any and all emphasis on fresh-cut products in the original document. For more information about the FDA’s Draft Guidance for Industry, the Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention or the revised recommendations for Listeria control, contact David Gombas, United Fresh senior vice president of food safety and technology at 202-303-3400 ext. 411