The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is pleased to respond to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) request for comments on the notice of the Draft Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Leafy Greens. 74 Fed. Reg. 38439 (Aug. 3, 2009); 74 Fed. Reg. 42311 (Aug. 21, 2009). We wish to commend FDA for providing draft guidance on three commodities: melons, tomatoes and leafy greens. We agree with FDA’s approach, which is based on science and does not favor any particular set of standards or criteria set by a State or other entity, and which can be applied to the respective commodities regardless of where they are grown, processed or handled. Furthermore, we agree with FDA’s reliance on the recommendations in the FDA Food Code as the basis for draft guidance for handling these commodities in retail food stores.

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