FDA Issues Draft Guidance for Sprout Operations on Produce Safety Rule

The Food and Drug Administration released a draft guidance document (here) to assist sprout operations in complying with the agency’s Food Safety Modernization Act product safety rule, it said (here). Sprout operations, including foreign operations if their products are imported into the U.S., are required to comply with the new regulations (or their equivalent) beginning on Jan. 26, 2017, earlier than operations involving other types of produce. Small businesses get a one- or two-year grace period, depending on size. Comments on the draft guidance are due July 24.