Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption: Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) appreciates the opportunity to comment on FDAs Draft Guidance, Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption. As the voice of the U.S. frozen food industry, AFFI is the national trade association that represents the interests of all segments of the frozen food industry. AFFI members manufacture and distribute frozen foods throughout the United States and globally. AFFI represents a broad group of companies throughout the food distribution chain, including food producers, distributors, and retailers, many of whom either are subject to the Produce Safety rule or source their ingredients from entities covered by the rule. AFFI respectfully requests that FDA amend the Draft Guidance to include blanching as a type of commercial processing that adequately reduces the presence of microorganisms of public health significance and that would render produce eligible for the commercial processing exemption from the Produce Safety rule (21 C.F.R. 112.2(b)). In the Draft Guidance FDA identifies certain types of commercial processing that would make produce eligible for the exemption (e.g., refining or distilling), though this list does not include blanching. Please refer to the attached document for AFFI's entire set of comments on this Draft Guidance.