These days, foodborne illnesses make big news.
Some consumers seem to think that our food supply is getting more dangerous every day.
In the past, news about foodborne illness seemed to be confined to canned foods, meat and poultry, seafoods and milk. Since then, numerous outbreaks have been reported. There have been calls for increased regulation of imports and domestic produce by Congress and consumers. If the industry is to continue to avoid new mandatory regulations, the voluntary implementation of these guidelines is necessary. Recommended practices to minimize microbial contamination will be most effective when adapted to specific operations, because of the diversity of agricultural practices and produce commodities.