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 June 25, 2020 

Dear Papaya Growers, Harvesters, Packers, Distributors, Exporters, Importers, and Retailers: 

In an August 2019 letter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called on all sectors of 

the papaya industry to take action to break the cycle of recurring outbreaks of Salmonella

infections associated with imported papayas. This pattern of eight outbreaks since 2011 tied to 

consumption of imported fresh papayas has accounted for almost 500 reported cases of illness, 

including more than 100 hospitalizations and two deaths. 

Since issuing that 2019 letter, the world has been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We

would first like to acknowledge the challenges you face as an industry in the current environment 

of social distancing and constrained resources. During this pandemic it is more important than 

ever that we all work together to provide consumers with a safe and abundant food supply. We 

are committed to continuing our work with the papaya industry and our regulatory partners in 

Mexico, which is the largest supplier of papayas to U.S. consumers. 

Those partners -- the National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality 

(SENASICA), and the Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS)

– and the produce industry have done important work over the past year to develop food safety 

best practices for the papaya industry to follow. FDA’s Latin America Office has also been 

instrumental in working with the Mexican government and the papaya industry. 

New, Improved Production Practices for Papaya

FDA, SENASICA and COFEPRIS have been working to strengthen our partnership focusing on 

key areas of collaboration including produce safety. Importantly, SENASICA recently published 

an Action Plan for Papaya -- “Plan de Acción para papaya (Carica papaya L.)” -- as an 

addendum to Mexico’s Voluntary Systems for the Reduction of Contamination Risks (SRRC) 

Certification Program. 

Additionally, the Texas International Produce Association and United Fresh Produce Association 

have published the “Food Safety Best Practices Guide for the Growing & Handling of Mexican 

Papaya, First Edition” in collaboration with FDA, USDA, SENASICA, and the papaya industry 

in the U.S. and Mexico. 

These plans contain important new measures that industry can take to minimize the risk of 

contamination. With the 2020 growing season upon us, we are reaching out again to stress the 
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importance of following the latest best practices and proactively working to keep papayas free of 

contamination.

Call to Action

We are asking all segments of the papaya industry to:

• Identify and implement improved production and prevention practices for growing, 

harvesting, and packing whole, fresh papayas.

• Disseminate best practices throughout the supply chain and for buyers to incorporate them

into their purchasing specifications and audit programs.

• Examine the use and monitoring of water used to grow, spray (e.g., pesticides, fungicides), 

move, wash, rinse or wax crops to identify and minimize risks from potential hazards. 

• Assess the factors that make crops vulnerable to contamination. 

• Perform a root cause analysis to determine the likely source of contamination if a foodborne 

pathogen is identified in the crop or growing environment and assess whether additional 

measures are needed to prevent a reoccurrence. Implement procedures and practices to

minimize the risks that led to the contamination as deemed appropriate. 

• Adopt traceability best practices and technologies to help ensure quick and easy access to key 

data elements from farm to fork. Since papayas are a perishable commodity, traceability 

information should facilitate the rapid tracking of involved product to expedite its removal 

from commerce, prevent additional consumer exposures, and focus any recall actions. 

• Fund and actively engage in further food safety research to identify the potential sources and 

routes of contamination and develop data-driven and risk-based preventive measures.

• Comply with all relevant regulations – such as the Produce Safety and Foreign Supplier 

Verification rules established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act – including 

considering the recommendations made in guidance documents and educational materials.

FDA’s Mission

We are committed to protecting consumers from unsafe foods, no matter where in the world they 

are produced. The FDA has an active country-wide Import Alert in place that allows the agency 

to detain, without physical examination, whole, fresh papayas grown in Mexico. Companies

excluded from this alert are those that have provided sufficient evidence of the safety of future 

shipments. 

FDA is continuing to monitor the safety of imported papayas using all available tools and 

resources, as well as evaluating ways to verify the implementation and impact of the new best 

practices.
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Our hope is that 2020 will be the year when our collective efforts to prevent outbreaks are 

successful, and American consumers can enjoy papayas, confident in their safety.

Thank you. 

Frank Yiannas Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D.

Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy Associate Commissioner

and Response for Regulatory Affairs

CC: 

SENASICA

COFEPRIS

ProPapaya, the National Papaya Board of Mexico 

Proexport

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

Texas International Produce Association

Produce Marketing Association 

United Fresh Produce Association

Food Marketing Institute

Associated Wholesale Grocers

International Foodservice Distributors Association

National Grocers Association

National Restaurant Association

Consumer Brands Association

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

California Fresh Fruit Association

Western Growers

American Association of Exporters and Importers

Express Association of America

National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association 

National Council of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA)

National Association of Produce Market Managers