Western Growers invites all stakeholders interested in enhancing the safety of leafy greens to engage in the amendment process for food safety guidelines that impact the way leafy greens are farmed in California and Arizona.

Comment Period Open

Since the inception of the California and Arizona Leafy Green Marketing Agreements (LGMAs), Western Growers (WG) has been at the forefront of developing and revising the written “Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens” for the leafy greens industry in both states.

On March 29, 2021, the comment period for issues related to Soil Amendments and Non-Synthetic Crop Treatments (Issues # 7 and # 8 in the guidelines) opened until April 27, 2021. To propose a revision to the guidelines, click on the button below.

PROPOSE A CHANGE

The Process

To facilitate this process, ensure broad industry engagement and transparency, WG, in partnership with the Arizona and California LGMAs, manages a systematic amendment process based on a yearly calendar. The food safety guidelines, adopted by the LGMAs, impact the way leafy greens are farmed in California and Arizona and therefore must be based on credible science balanced with practical field implementation.

Proposed changes must meet LGMA criteria to be considered. Proposals should be 1) comprehensive, 2) accompanied by a statement on how proposed changes will enhance food safety, and 3) include a clear and straightforward scientific basis or rationale, including citations of relevant research if available.

WG invites all stakeholders interested in enhancing the safety of leafy greens to engage in this process.

CLICK HERE TO PROPOSE A CHANGE.

For additional information, contact WG’s Science department at [email protected].

On April 6, 2021, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released two important documents for leafy green operations.  

The first is an investigative report on the fall 2020 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses linked to leafy greens’ consumption. In the report, the FDA analyzes outbreaks since 2017 and identifies three key trends leading to the contamination of leafy greens by E. coli O157:H7 in recent years. The full report can be accessed here:

Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Leafy Greens Implicated in the Fall 2020 Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 | FDA

The second document is an updated version of the Leafy Greens Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) Action Plan, building on the work accomplished in 2020. The updated Leafy Greens Action Plan emphasizes actions to prevent contamination from activities on adjacent land, new actions that build on the accomplishments, and learnings from the 2020 plan. The action plan can be found here:

Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan | FDA

In response to the information provided in this report, Western Growers is actively working to provide resources and discussion opportunities to further understanding the information provided by the FDA and develop a coordinated industry response. If you have any comments, questions, or would like to exchange with WG’s Science staff on this topic, please contact us at [email protected].

Western Growers has formed a new Food Safety Advisory Subcommittee (FSAS) to bolster its efforts in solving produce safety challenges.

FSAS members will advise the Food Safety Science and Technology Committee, which reports to the WG’s Board of Directors, while providing technical expertise and advice on science issues and industry regulations affecting the safety of fresh produce. Members of FSAS will be abreast of WG’s key food safety efforts and projects and have the opportunity to provide WG’s Science staff with feedback on these endeavors.

The following 12 WG members will serve on FSAS:

1. Chair: Jacob Odello, Nunes Company
2. Co-Chair: Cailin Keaton, Pasquinelli Produce Company
3. Secretary: Amber Strohauer, Strohauer Farms
4. Bob Wright / Veg Fresh Farms, LLC
5. Daniel Delgado / Orange County Produce
6. Diego Trujillo / Bueno Foods
7. Fatima Corona / JV Smith Companies
8. Frank Kelsey / Highland Ag Solutions (ad-hoc member)
9. Kate Burr / Markon Cooperative Inc.
10. Lacy Litten / Innovative Produce
11. Tim Antongiovanni / Ten Star Farming, Inc.
12. Amanda Brooks / Harrison Farms

For questions about the FSAS, contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251.

Since the inception of the California and Arizona Leafy Green Marketing Agreements, Western Growers has been at the forefront of developing and revising the written “Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens” for the leafy greens industry in both states.

The comment period for issues related to Soil Amendments and Non-Synthetic Crop Treatments (Issues #7 and #8 in the guidelines) will close on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Click here to submit your comments.

The next comment period, which is for issues related to Adjacent Land Use/Production Locations (Issues #14 and #15 in the guidelines), will open on April 28, 2021. If you are interested in submitting a revision to the Adjacent Land Use/Production Locations section, please review the “Participate in the Process” section on leafygreenguidance.com.

Western Growers invites all stakeholders interested in enhancing the safety of leafy greens to submit comments. Please note that only submissions following the proper format and are submitted before the close date will be accepted.

For additional information, contact Western Growers’ Science department at [email protected].

In the investigative report on the fall 2020 outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified three key trends leading to the contamination of leafy greens by E. coli O157:H7 in recent years, with a focus on a recurring strain and adjacent land use.

In this webinar, experts from FDA, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and California Department of Public Health will examine the highlights, findings, recommendations, and future activities from the latest outbreak investigation report and cover federal and state perspectives and responses.

Participants are encouraged to read the report before this presentation. The report can be accessed here. This webinar will allow an opportunity to ask questions, however, Western Growers will also be receiving questions in advance.

EVENT DETAILS

Webinar: Latest Outbreak Investigation: Highlights, Findings, Recommendations, and Future Government Activities

Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT

Speakers:

• Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response
• Maria Knirk, Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement, CFSAN
• Natalie Krout-Greenberg, Director, CDFA Inspection Services
• Stic Harris, Director of Coordinated Outbreak & Response Evaluation Network (CORE), CFSAN
• Samir Assar, Director, Produce Safety Staff, CFSAN
• Michael Needham, Chief, CDPH Emergency Response Unit
• Gerald Bromley, Director, Division of Domestic Human & Animal Food Operations, ORA
• James Gorny, Senior Science Advisory for Produce Safety, CFSAN

RSVP: Click here to register

For more information, contact Western Growers’ Science department at [email protected].

Recurrent outbreaks associated with leafy greens have increased concerns related to land uses adjacent to leafy green operations. Recently, the Fall 2020 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigation Report stated that based on their investigation, the likely contributing factor for pathogenic E. coli contamination of leafy greens has been the proximity of cattle. With the increasingly evident relationship between cattle and leafy green outbreaks, questions regarding the possibility of advancing vaccination in cattle are increasing.

Cattle vaccination is not a new topic, but has it evolved? What are the limitations or potential benefits? In this webinar, two expert researchers on cattle vaccines will cover the past landscape, current research, challenges, and the future of vaccinations.

Join us to learn the facts surrounding cattle vaccines and ask questions on the subject.

EVENT DETAILS

Produce Safety and Cattle: Facts, Challenges, and Opportunities of Cattle Vaccines
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

Speakers:

• Dr. Todd Callaway, Associate Professor in Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia
• Dr. Gaby Maier, Assistant Specialist in Cooperative Extension for Beef Cattle Herd Health & Production, UC Davis

RSVP: Click here to register

For more information, contact Western Growers’ Science department at [email protected].

The comment period for proposed changes to the LGMA-approved metrics related to Soil Amendments and Non-Synthetic Crop Treatments closes today. We encourage all stakeholders to submit proposed changes and comments here: https://www.leafygreenguidance.com/

On May 20, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. PT, Western Growers will host a web discussion surrounding all submissions received during the Soil Amendments/Non-Synthetic Crop Treatments comment period. During this web discussion, proposed changes to the LGMA-approved metrics will be publicly presented by the corresponding submitter with open dialogue allowed for all attendees. To register for this web discussion, click here.

Tomorrow, on April 28, 2021, the comment period for issues related to Adjacent Land Use/Production Locations officially opens. Click here to submit your proposed changes and comments. All submissions are due by May 27, 2021.

Since the inception of the California and Arizona Leafy Green Marketing Agreements, Western Growers has been at the forefront of developing and revising the written “Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens” for the leafy greens industry in both states. Western Growers supports the continuous improvement of the LGMA-approved leafy green food safety guidelines and maintains a Master Calendar to facilitate a systematic amendment process.

For more information, contact Western Growers’ Science department at [email protected].