Building the Science Foundation of a Modern Food Safety System

During the past 20 years, those working to prevent foodborne illnesses in the United States–whether in government, industry, academia, or the consumer advocacy community–have made major progress in understanding food safety as a farm-to-fork challenge that necessitates science-based efforts throughout the system. Numerous reports have called for a more risk-informed and data-driven approach to U.S. food safety, and legislation currently being considered in Congress includes provisions to strengthen the scientific basis of the nation’s food safety system.

Cost of Foodborne Illness

Foodborne illnesses carry with them significant economic and social costs that extend far beyond the immediate victim.

FDA Actions Regarding Produce Safety

For more than a decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the challenge of making fresh produce safer. However, it has relied on voluntary guidelines. This document summarizes a decade of government initiatives that fall short of the mandatory and enforceable federal safety standards needed for domestic and imported fresh fruits and vegetables.

Foodborne Pathogens Associated with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

There are a number of foodborne microbial pathogens associated with the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables that can cause illness or death among consumers who eat contaminated produce.

This document summarizes the major foodborne microbial pathogens that may be found in fresh produce, including Cyclospora cayetanensis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp.

Issue Brief Series: Analyses of Possible Sources of Produce Contamination

The Produce Safety Project has commissioned a series of papers as a follow-up to its analysis and comparison of existing produce safety standards. These papers will explore in more depth issues relating to the use of compost, the quality of irrigation water, the interaction and interface of food safety standards and conservation standards, and worker hygiene measures.

Legal and Regulatory Frameworks Governing the Growing, Packing and Handling of Fresh Produce in Countries Exporting to the U.S.

A number of major countries exporting fresh vegetables and fruit into the United States have modernized food-safety laws and regulations over the past two decades to emphasize preventive measures. The Produce Safety Project (PSP), supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, advocates for improvements in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight of domestic and imported produce through the adoption of mandatory, enforceable safety standards. To provide policymakers with information on the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the growing, packing and handling of fresh produce in countries exporting to the U.S., PSP commissioned a review of those systems in fi ve of the U.S.’s largest trading partners - Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, and Peru.

Produce Safety Project: Stakeholders' Discussion Series Meetings

The Food and Drug Administration announced in December 2009, that it was going to establish a nationwide produce safety standard for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables and opened an official docket for comments in February 2010. More info

Produce-Related Foodborne-Illness Outbreaks

From 1990 through 2005, at least 713 produce-related outbreaks have occurred. This issue brief summarizes 15 years of produce-related illness outbreaks in the U.S.