In the wake of cuts to federal food safety programs, California leafy greens farmers want to assure consumers that their farms continue to follow mandatory, government-enforced food safety practices every day.
During a segment on the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement sought to show how leafy greens growers in the state are being proactive about product safety, according to a news release.
Reporter David Pogue visited the cabbage farm of Jack Vessey in Holtville, Calif., and spoke with LGMA CEO Tim York about the mandatory food safety program that leafy greens farmers implemented in 2007 to ensure science-based food safety practices are being followed on leafy greens farms.
Pogue describes the LGMA as a “coalition of farmers overseen by the California Department of Food and Agriculture who’ve agreed to adopt food safety protocols sooner and more stringent than the government’s. Ninety-four percent of the nation’s leafy greens are covered by this agreement.” He also mentions how government auditors verify required food safety practices are being followed by farmers like Vessey.
“This ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ show offers a quick look at what leafy greens farmers are doing to prevent outbreaks,” York said in the release. “We want to emphasize that the LGMA program is unaffected by changes at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lettuce farmers are following required practices and we continue to update and improve our food safety program independently.California Department of Food and Agriculture auditors are regularly in our fields to verify farmers are in compliance with our stringent practices.”
“California produces the majority of our nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables. We take food safety very seriously here,” said California Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “For decades, California has implemented and enforced some of the most stringent regulations in the world when it comes to agricultural pesticide use, environmental and worker protections and ensuring the overall safety of the healthy foods our farmers produce. We want to assure consumers that California state safety auditors are continuing to inspect leafy greens farms like those depicted in the ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ piece.”
York says the LGMA program was enacted by leafy greens farmers themselves to address past food safety outbreaks associated with their products.
“For leafy greens farmers, food safety is a top priority,” York said. “Most of the time leafy greens are eaten raw and they are grown outside. Every precaution possible is taken to prevent contamination. That is exactly why California lettuce farmers took steps to create and fund our own program. We are supportive of federal food safety laws, but we are not relying solely on the federal government. It is our responsibility to ensure our products are safe.”
York went on to say that, in addition to the LGMA food safety program, most retail and foodservice operations in today’s environment insist that their suppliers have food safety programs. This means leafy greens farms are not only audited by the CDFA, but retail operations have their own food safety inspectors who regularly visit farms to verify food safety practices are being followed.
In addition, York says the LGMA requires its members to have in place a traceback program so that, in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, the products potentially involved can be quickly recalled.
In the “CBS Sunday Morning” segment, Vessey explains that his company performs mock product recalls two times per year to ensure the traceback program is working. As part of the drill, his food safety director will identify a box of cabbage or lettuce that has been shipped, the release said.
“Within 30 minutes, I can tell you who was in the field, what fertilizer was used, what seed company provided the seed and what harvest crew worked that day,” Vessey said. “Because the ability to stop a truck and bring product back is very important.”
“No one wants to experience foodborne illness, least of all the leafy greens community,” York said. “We will continue to work to ensure our products are safe with or without the government’s assistance. We urge everyone in the produce industry to share this ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ piece and to communicate with consumers all you are doing to produce safe food.”