Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia was featured in The New York Times this weekend as it examined the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak and its impact on the produce industry.

While California-grown lettuce has not been implicated as the source of the outbreak, growers across the region have experienced significant declines in demand, with millions of heads of healthy produce being plowed back into the ground. Puglia said that the impact on produce sales has been close to 30 percent, greater than the impact of other recent foodborne illness outbreaks. Puglia also emphasized the industry’s commitment to food safety and the need to continue building consumer confidence.

“There is a need to open the doors wider and give consumers greater visibility into the food safety practices and standards we have developed.”

Puglia’s comments highlight the important role Western Growers plays in making sure our growers’ voices are heard and that the conversation around food safety remains grounded in facts, science and a commitment to protecting consumers.

Read the New York Times article featuring Dave Puglia here.

Western Growers Experts in the News

Additionally, several other Western Growers experts were featured in recent coverage. You can read those stories below:

From Salmonella Eggs to Diarrhea Lettuce, Why This Has Been a Sick Hot American Summer featuring De Ann Davis, SVP, Science.

USDA cyclospora research projects shelved amid funding cuts and relocations featuring Joelle Mosso, AVP, Science Programs.