Fruit Growers Must Get Ready For Food Safety Law

If you’re like most fruit growers, the matter of food safety hasn’t exactly been a front burner issue for you. It’s not that you don’t care, it’s just that in the produce arena most of the attention has been focused on vegetables that have been identified in pathogen outbreaks, such as green onions and especially leafy greens. That’s all about to change, and if you’re smart, you’ll try and get out ahead of the issue.

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That was the take-away message I got from a discussion at the California Grape & Tree Fruit League’s annual meeting in late March. Two representatives of the United Fresh Produce Association, Vice President of Supply Chain Management Dan Vaché and President and CEO Tom Stenzel, were on hand to provide information on the Produce Traceability Initiative and related issues.

I thought their most interesting comments related to the federal government’s handling of food safety. In essence: buckle your seat belts. “Everything has been on hold until now because of health care,” said Stenzel of Congress. “As soon as they get back from Easter recess you will see that food safety legislation move; get ready for it.”

Vaché said much the same thing, that the health care legislation was like a finger in the dike blocking the flow of other legislation. Then he threw in a kicker that made me, for one, see the issue in a new light: “Who’s going to vote against food safety?”

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Fruit growers are in somewhat of an unusual position on the issue just for the reason mentioned above. Barry Bedwell, the league’s president and a member of American/Western Fruit Grower’s Editorial Advisory Board, led off the discussion by saying he was immediately concerned when he heard about the possibility of one-size-fits-all federal food safety regulations. “We’re not the same as onions, tomatoes, or leafy greens,” said Bedwell.

Because of the fact that every commodity is different, Stenzel said he would advise growers to get involved in their industry trade groups. Vaché, citing a survey on the Produce Traceability Initiative, which showed how many in the industry were unaware of it, said there needs to be more involvement. “I’m amazed at the number of people who don’t belong to any trade associations,” he said.

Now you’d expect such association leaders to feel that way, but it does make sense. If you want to know what’s coming down the pike, and what actions you might be able to take to stop it or somehow modify it, now is an excellent time to get involved in your commodity association. In fact, because so many issues are regional in nature, I’d advise growers to be involved not only on a commodity basis, but on a geographically oriented level, as well.

On this food safety issue, as well as many others, you need to be informed. (Incidentally, the fact that you’re reading this is a step in the right direction.) For example, I hear a lot of growers scoff at the Produce Traceability Initiative, saying all it will do is hurt their business. But consider all the ramifications.

Say you were growing spinach and there was another E. coli outbreak on spinach. It would be nice if we had lot codes so retailers wouldn’t have to pull all the spinach (as happened in 2006), said Stenzel, but just certain lots like you can do with Campbell’s soup. That would save you a few bucks, no?

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