New California Leafy Greens Website
August 1, 2012 In an effort to provide a resource on leafy greens food safety for a wide range of audiences, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) has developed a new website. The website at www.safeleafygreens.com operates in conjunction with the organization’s primary site at www.lgma.ca.gov, but provides information and resources in a less technical style so people can better understand all that is being done on the farm to make California leafy greens safe.
“The new website has been redesigned with colorful graphics, easy navigation and useful information consumers tell us they want to know about leafy greens food safety,” said April Ward, LGMA communications director. “The site also includes safe handling information for leafy greens at home and even a few recipes that we hope consumers will find appealing.”
Ward said LGMA has been working to protect public health since 2007 to verify through mandatory government audit that a set of science-based food safety practices are being followed on leafy greens farms. She noted that most consumers are unfamiliar with the LGMA and the food safety program in place to protect them.
“Consumer research conducted by the LGMA shows that consumers are very supportive of a food safety system that involves industry and government and that there is a high level of confidence in farmers and government agencies such as FDA and USDA,” said Ward. “This new website is designed to tell people about this program and how it is working to protect them.”
Safeleafygreens.com contains a great deal of information in a very small space with sections devoted to food safety on the farm, producers, varieties and growing regions, the LGMA Certification Mark, recipes and at-home handling. The site also includes a description of the LGMA Food Safety Model and explains the six principle elements of the LGMA program.
“Our hope is that consumers will visit the site, that retail and food service operators will use it as a resource for talking to their customers about leafy greens food safety, and that the media will visit to learn more about this important program,” said Ward. “For those who want to know more or to access technical documents, such as the LGMA food safety metrics or see a list of certified members, there are links to our main site at www.lgma.ca.gov.”
Ward said the LGMA is also active in social media and she encouraged industry members and others to “LIKE” or “FOLLOW” the LGMA as a means of receiving regular updates and information on leafy greens food safety.
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