CNN Report Leaves Out Key Information on Produce Safety
Posted by: Scott HorsfallLast night CNN Presents featured a story to update viewers about the listeria outbreak associated with Jensen Farms cantaloupe which occurred last fall. The full story is not available on-line yet, but you can view an abbreviated report here. The report details this tragedy through interviews with victims, FDA officials and food safety specialists and comes to the conclusion the incident could have been prevented had proper food safety practices been in place at Jensen Farms.
Read MoreCanadians Have Additional Assurances of Safe Leafy Greens
Posted by: Scott HorsfallAs government budgets tighten throughout the world, recent news reports have warned that Canada’s Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) may be forced to eliminate 100 of its food inspectors, many of whom work to inspect foods imported into the country. CFIA President George Da Pont assured consumers of the agency’s commitment to protecting public health in an editorial that appeared last week in the Toronto Star.
Read MoreLGMA Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary and a New Strategic Plan
Posted by: Scott HorsfallIt’s been five years since this unprecedented food safety program was created to protect public health by establishing a culture of food safety on leafy greens farms. As it was back in 2007, the California LGMA is currently led by a group of proactive and like-minded leafy greens handlers, growers and shippers. Recently, the LGMA leadership met to revisit the goals and objectives established five years ago and update them to address current realities.
Read MoreFDA Officials Tour Spinach Farm to Gain Insights for FSMA Implementation
Posted by: Scott HorsfallThe California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement continues working to assist the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in protecting public health through implementation of the new Food Safety Modernization Act. Yesterday, the LGMA hosted a team of FDA officials who toured a Gilroy, CA spinach farming operation to see first-hand how the system of mandatory government inspection of leafy greens fields is working to create a culture of food safety for over 90 percent of the U.S. leafy greens that are produced in California and Arizona.
Read MoreLeafy Greens Industry Looks Forward to FMSA
Posted by: Scott HorsfallFive years ago the California leafy greens industry invited government regulators into their fields with an unprecedented program to verify through mandatory government audit that a set of science-based food safety practices was being followed on leafy greens farms. Today, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement is eagerly waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue further produce safety regulations by way of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Read MoreNew Federal Food Safety Rules Are Just Around the Corner
Posted by: Scott HorsfallAny day now, the federal government is expected to publish its first draft of a produce food safety rule required under last year's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The initial rules to be published will focus on three areas: farm food safety practices, import requirements, and facilities. The LGMA has been working closely with FDA over the past few years, and we await publication of produce safety rules with great interest.
Read MoreWhat’s Missing in the Recent Food Safety Debate?
Posted by: Scott HorsfallThe debate about the effectiveness of private audit system within the produce industry rages on, spurred by the recent report of the government investigation on an outbreak of Listeria associated with cantaloupe in 2011. Yesterday, several opinion pieces appeared in the media.
Read MoreA Big Thank You to Bill Pool of Wegmans
Posted by: Scott HorsfallToday at the United Fresh Produce Association's (UFPA) Food Safety and Technology Council meeting I had the opportunity to honor an individual who is truly dedicated to advancing food safety in the produce industry. Bill Pool is Manager of Ag Production and Research at Wegmans Food Markets; he also serves on the UFPA Food Safety and Technology Council and the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee. Now Bill is also a recipient of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement's Golden Checkmark Award for support of government inspection of food safety practices in the produce industry.
Read MoreAuditing and Food Safety: Perishable Pundit Comments on LGMA Letter
Posted by: Scott HorsfallIn the aftermath of the listeria outbreak associated with Jensen Farms cantaloupe, a letter was sent to Perishable Pundit editor Jim Prevor authored by Ed Beckman, President of the California Tomato Farmers and me. This week, that letter appeared in the Pundit along with some typically insightful commentary by Mr. Prevor.
Read MoreSigns of Success Amidst Recurring Food-borne Illness Events
Posted by: Scott HorsfallRecent and tragic foodborne illness events are stirring much discussion about food safety in the produce industry. As always, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement is watching developments closely, particularly since one of these events – an E. coli outbreak in St. Louis, Missouri, which has sickened as many as 32 people – is believed to be associated with consumption of product from a salad bar. So far, intensive investigations by county, state and federal health authorities have failed to pinpoint the exact source of this outbreak.
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