Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan, outlining steps the agency plans to take this year to advance the safety of leafy greens. While most strains ofE. coliare harmless, Shiga toxin-producingE. coli, or STEC, can be life-threatening. The most common STEC,E. coliO157:H7, is the type most often associated with outbreaks.
Fresh leafy greens are an important part of an overall healthy diet. While millions of servings of leafy greens are consumed safely every day, this produce commodity has been too often implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness. Between 2009 and 2018, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 40 foodborne outbreaks of STEC infections with a confirmed or suspected link to leafy greens in the U.S.
In an FDA Voices article, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas highlight the importance of FDAs action plan and the agencys focus on prevention, response and addressing knowledge gaps.
The FDA intends to hold a webinar in coming weeks to further discuss the action plan with interested stakeholders. More information, including how to register for the webinar, will soon be available on FDA.gov.
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2020 Leafy Greens Action Plan
FDA Outlines 2020 Action Plan to Advance the Safety of Leafy Greens
E. coliand Foodborne Illness
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FDA Releases Action Plan to Advance the Safety of Leafy Greens - PerishableNews
