United Fresh Submits Formal Comments on Revision to GAPs Document
January 12, 2009
After many months of work by its Food Safety & Technology Council, United Fresh submitted formal comments today on FDA's request for potential changes to its Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,
better known as the GAPs Guide. Comments prepared by a working group of
the Council focused on 12 questions posed by FDA, ranging from
prioritizing risks and written food safety plans to environmental
issues and regulatory requirements that may conflict with
recommendations in the GAPs Guide. "While these were important
questions, we believe that changes to the GAPs Guide should not be
considered lightly," said Dr. David Gombas, United Fresh senior vice
president of food safety and technology. United Fresh filed a request
for FDA to extend its December 31, 2008 deadline for comments to allow
broader analysis and discussion among different industry sectors. The
association is putting together additional working groups to meet with
FDA and other stakeholders to continue the dialogue on how the GAPs
Guide can be improved.
United Fresh Produce Association
1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202 303 3400
Fax: 202 303 3433 united@unitedfresh.org
