WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it will make available a new voluntary guide for produce growers, packers, and shippers to enhance the safety of fresh produce in the United States.

The guide is intended for domestic, as well as international growers who plan to export their produce to the United States, and contains voluntary safety precautions in areas of high risk, including: water quailty, field and facility sanitation, worker hygiene, and transportation.

In April 1998, the FDA and USDA held a series of public meetings with the agricultural communities and consumer groups to elicit detailed suggestions on the agencies' broad approach to common problems involved in the production of produce.

• periodic water sampling and testing to be sure that the water does not contain bacteria such as E. coli or cyclospora, also washing produce in water containing sanitizers
• chilling produce to keep it free from microbial growth, and the water and ice used for cooling should be tested and sanitized
• farm and plant workers should be trained in proper hygiene and each worker's health should be monitored to prevent the spread of disease
• providing proper sanitation facilities for farm workers
• the manure used as fertilizer should be specially treated to reduce the risk of transmitting E. coli, salmonella or cryptosporidium, as well as maximizing the amount of time between fertilizing and harvesting to reduce pathogens

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than three billion dollars is spent each year on treating food borne illnesses.