HHS NEWS

P97-29                        FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         Arthur Whitmore
                               (301) 827-6242
August 26, 1997               
 
                              
                                                                  

                            

   FDA ANNOUNCES A STRATEGY TO INCREASE SAFETY OF FRESH JUICES

     

     The Food and Drug Administration today announced measures to

reduce the risk of illness from disease-causing microbes in

unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices.  The new strategy

includes food-safety control programs for the industry, new

labeling for products, and education programs for consumers and

manufacturers.  The new measures affect only a small number of

producers because more than 98 percent of all fruit and vegetable

juices are already pasteurized.  

     The agency's plan follows several outbreaks of illness in

recent years from pathogenic microbes in fresh juice products,

including last fall's E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with

consumption of products containing unpasteurized apple juice

which sickened 66 people in three Western states and Canada and

resulted in the death of one child.  

     William Schultz, FDA deputy commissioner for policy, said

the agency later this year will propose a new rule requiring

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) safety

programs at all appropriate juice processing plants.  The agency

is considering proposing another rule requiring a statement of 

risk on labels of fresh apple juice products until the HACCP

plans are implemented.

     "The HACCP measures will take time to be in full effect,"

Schultz said.  "In the interim we are asking the industry, as a

voluntary public health service to their customers, to begin

immediately labeling fresh apple juice and cider products with a

statement of the risk." 

     The labeling being considered by FDA for untreated products

would state that those products may contain pathogens known to

cause serious or life-threatening illnesses, that the juice has

not been processed to destroy such pathogens, and that the risk

of serious illness is greatest for children, the elderly, and

people with weakened immune systems.

     Under FDA's HACCP proposal, some or all plants that

manufacture juice products would be required to adopt their own

HACCP safety programs.  HACCP is a science-based system designed

to prevent food safety hazards in food products through

appropriate controls during production and processing.  HACCP

plans, which are tailored to individual manufacturing plants,

entail identifying critical control points at which specific

safeguards can be implemented to reduce, prevent or eliminate

food safety hazards.  The agency will publish this HACCP proposal 

later this year.  Once the HACCP proposal becomes final and 

manufacturers have adopted individual HACCP plans, any 

labeling requirement may be rescinded.  



     FDA also will launch public education programs on

understanding and reducing the risk of pathogens in fresh juice

products.  Consumer education programs will focus on

communicating the risks of untreated juice products to the most

vulnerable populations.  Industry education programs will ensure

that processing plant managers and workers understand and apply

good manufacturing practices in their operations.

     FDA developed these measures with industry and public input. 

In December 1996 the agency convened a public meeting before the

Fresh Produce Subcommittee of the National Advisory Committee for

Microbiological Criteria in Foods to review the science,

technology, and manufacturing practices related to the safe

production of fresh juices.  Following that meeting, the full

committee recommended the adoption of HACCP programs in accord

with FDA's forthcoming proposal.

     The Notice of Intent announcing these public health measures

is on display today and will be published in the Federal Register

Aug. 28.  The agency invites public comments on the notice and 

the education program.  Comments received within 15 days of the

publication of this notice may be considered by FDA as it 

develops future HACCP and labeling proposals.  Comments may be 

submitted to FDA's Dockets Management Branch, HFA-305, Food and

Drug Administration, 12410 Parklawn Drive, Room 1-23, Rockville,

MD 20857.  

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