Draft Guidance for Industry: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Sprouts for Human Consumption; and Guidance for Industry: Standards for the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

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing the availability of two guidance documents that will help sprout operations subject to FDA's final rule entitled "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption" (the Produce Safety Rule) understand the topics covered in the Produce Safety Rule pertaining to personnel qualifications, training, and hygienic practices; equipment, tools, and buildings; and sampling and testing of spent sprout irrigation water (or in-process sprouts). FDA is issuing a draft guidance entitled, "Draft Guidance for Industry: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Sprouts for Human Consumption," which revises a currently issued draft guidance entitled "Compliance with and Recommendations for Implementation of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption for Sprout Operations" (January 23, 2017) (the January 2017 draft guidance). In addition, FDA is announcing the availability of a final guidance entitled "Guidance for Industry: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Sprouts for Human Consumption," which finalizes portions of the January 2017 draft guidance with additional clarifications in response to comments.