FEDA Industry Standard Public Review FAQ
What is an industry standard?
An industry standard provides agreed-upon best practices, recommendations, or guidelines intended to promote consistency and improve industry practices. FEDA's standards are developed with input from industry professionals and are intended to provide practical guidance for the commercial foodservice equipment industry.
FEDA standards provide voluntary industry guidance and are not regulations or legal requirements.
What is the purpose of the public review?
Public review gives industry professionals an opportunity to review the draft and provide feedback before it is finalized. The purpose of the review is to identify issues, gaps, unclear language, practical concerns, and opportunities to improve the standard.
The appropriate FEDA/FDC group will review all submitted comments as part of the revision process.
Why should I participate in the public review?
The individuals and companies who work with these processes every day have firsthand knowledge that can help make the standards more practical and useful. Public review gives industry professionals an opportunity to identify gaps, clarify language, raise implementation concerns, and suggest improvements before the standards are finalized.
FEDA is looking for constructive feedback that can help strengthen the standards. There may be areas or sections that do not directly apply to your company, but your feedback is still important to capture if you have insights that can strengthen the standards. You don't have to agree with everything in the draft to participate in providing feedback.
Additionally, providing feedback does not mean you or your company is endorsing the document.
Who can participate?
FEDA members and employees of member companies are encouraged to participate, particularly those with firsthand experience related to the standard.
Do I need to be a standards expert?
No. Practical experience is exactly what FEDA is looking for.
How much time does the review take?
The amount of time will depend on how closely the standard relates to your work. Reviewers do not need to read or comment on every section. You can focus on the portions most relevant to your experience and submit comments on specific provisions where you have feedback.
Do I need to review the entire standard?
No. Reviewers can focus on the sections most relevant to their work. Reviewing the entire document is always appreciated.
Is this a vote?
No. Reviewers are being asked to provide comments and recommendations, not simply vote for or against the standard.
What happens to my comments?
Comments will be reviewed and considered as part of the process of revising and finalizing the standards.
What kind of comments are useful?
Comments identifying unclear language, missing considerations, inaccuracies, implementation concerns, unintended consequences, or suggested changes are particularly useful.
What if I see a problem but don't know how to revise the language?
That's still useful feedback. Identify the provision, explain what concerns you, and provide as much context as possible. FEDA and the FDC can consider the issue as part of the review process.
How do I submit a comment?
Complete the FEDA Public Review and Comment Form and submit it according to the instructions provided.
When does public review close?
The review period ends on Nov. 13, 2026.
What happens after public review?
The public review period is an important part of FEDA’s standards development process. After comments close on Nov. 13, FEDA will compile and review the feedback received.
The Future of Distribution Council (FDC) and the appropriate subcommittees will evaluate substantive comments and consider recommended changes to the draft standards. Based on this review, revisions may be made to address feedback and improve the standards.
The revised standards will then go through FEDA’s internal review and approval process before being finalized and published for industry use.
FEDA Standards Development Process
- Develop → FDC and subject-matter experts develop the draft
- Public Review → Industry professionals review and submit comments
- Evaluate → FDC and its subcommittees review and evaluate feedback
- Revise → Draft is revised based on feedback
- Approve → Revised standard goes through FEDA's review and approval process
- Publish → Final standard is published for industry use
Once published, industry standards will be reviewed and revised according to an agreed-upon revision schedule to ensure they remain current and relevant to industry practices.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to Ashley Mueller, Director of Industry Programs and Professional Development, at ashley@feda.com.