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Introduction to the Food Safety Initiative
Most of the food safety program requirements and recommendations presented in the Toolkit will make good sense to most growers and packers. The need for others is probably less clear. In order to help Toolkit users fully understand the origin and necessity of the program components, we have collected some important documents into this resource section. These resources include guidance documents from FDA and other bodies, along with links to the full text of some important laws and regulations.
We highly recommend that Toolkit users read and thoroughly absorb the FDA's "Guide to Minimize Microbial Hazards...," and the Good Manufacturing Practices (20CFR110), as these two documents underlie the entire food safety program for fresh fruits and vegetables. We also recommend that users read closely the publications from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (University of Florida), as many good, Florida-specific practices are described in them. The list of materials in this resource section is not exhaustive. Instead, we have tried to include those documents we feel are most germane, helpful, and useful. But check back from time to time, as we will be adding resources frequently.
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