New FDA Guidelines Target Food Bacteria

From hand-washing to disposal of manure, the Food and Drug Administration issued farm and processing guidelines aimed at reducing bacteria in fruit and vegetables. The guidelines, which are voluntary, detail a series of practices in fields and in the food industry intended to curb growing incidences of illness from such microbes as E. coli and salmonella on lettuce, tomatoes and other produce. “No farmer or businessperson wants an outbreak from their product,” said Joe Levitt, director of the FDA’s food safety programs. “These are important prevention techniques that will really help.”