March 2019

The purpose of this document is to state the intent of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, we, or the Agency) not to enforce the requirements of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption regulation (21 CFR Part 112) as they apply to entities growing, harvesting, packing and holding certain commodities.

We are issuing this guidance consistent with our good guidance practices (GGP) regulation (21 CFR 10.115). This guidance is immediately effective because FDA has determined that prior public participation is not feasible or appropriate (21 CFR 10.115(g)(2)).

FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidances describe the Agency’s current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or recommended, but not required.

In this guidance, pronouns such as “you” refer to entities that are covered by this guidance.

Download the Guidance

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Related Information

• Additional Produce Guidance
• FSMA Guidance
• FSMA Produce Safety Rule