Posts By: Joelle Mosso
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A Comprehensive Approach to Sustainable Food Safety
This is part two of a two-part series on food safety and sustainability. You can read the first part of this series in the September/October edition of the Western Grower & Shipper. Climate change is rapidly changing ecosystems worldwide, and there are increasing concerns about the long-term impacts that these changes may have on the stability, sustenance and growth of…
Food Safety: The Root Cause
Headlines frequently report foodborne illnesses and recalls, prompting many business leaders to wonder what they need to do to prevent it happening to their company. When problems occur, investigators conduct a root cause analysis – don’t let that investigation lead to the top. Building a strong food safety culture is commonly discussed but difficult to implement and measure. It’s…
Growing for Sustainability
This is part one of a two-part series on food safety and sustainability. At what point in time does a plant become food? Why would that moment in time matter, and how would we know when it occurs? Food, by the nature of its purpose, should nourish the body and not introduce negative health outcomes. Fresh produce is one of the healthiest food categories, supplying vitamins, antioxidants…
Deciphering STEC positives in Molecular Screening Methods for Produce Testing
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a group of pathogenic E.coli that has been found to contaminate leafy greens and other fresh produce items. These contamination events contribute to the overall burden of foodborne illnesses and represent a primary challenge in the goal to improve produce food safety. STEC is a broad and diverse category of E.coli, with an estimated number of…
Western Growers Science: Novel Aggregated Sampling and Testing Methods for Pathogen Detection in Produce Webinar
Join us for a webinar hosted by the Western Growers Science, featuring Dr. Florence Wu of Aemtek Laboratories and Dr. Eric Wilhelmsen of Fremonta. This webinar will explore new ways to approach microbial pathogen testing in the produce industry. Learn more about novel options that help you get more from your efforts and testing dollars. Details Thursday, June 13, 2024 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.…
Western Growers Science: The Next Frontier of Environmental Monitoring: Tracking & Tools Webinar
Is your Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) doing enough? New advancements in tools for EMPs suggest re-visiting what "good" looks like. Testing one’s production environment for microorganisms like Listeria and Salmonella has become commonplace; however, is your program returning on your investment? How do you know, and what new tools are at your disposal to make sure your testing…
The Psychology of Foodborne Pathogen Testing
Much of today’s society involves measurement, data collection and ultimately comparison amongst others to see how we stack up. We are either too heavy, too thin, our blood pressure too high, GPA too low, or we have too few followers on our social pages. In short, we have driven ourselves toward a constantly growing need to collect, evaluate and judge what success looks like based on measurable…
WG Science: Understanding the USDA’s New Organic Certification Rules
New Organic Certification rules: Are you ready? On March 19, 2024 the USDA will be enforcing new regulations under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Rule. The SOE rule reflects the most significant update to the USDA regulations since the standards were developed, and there are SOE rule changes that Produce companies should be aware of to ensure compliance going forward. Join…
Quick Reference Available for Leafy Green Food Safety Professionals
The Western Growers Science team has created a quick reference primer for leafy green food safety professionals on the design considerations of a leafy green preharvest tissue testing program. What can a preharvest sample tell you about risk, when should you apply the testing and how do you drive more value from your test result? Find the Primer: Preharvest Pathogen Testing of Leafy Green…
The USDA National Organic Standards Board Charged with Deliberation on Definition and Standard Discussion on Compost
The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) issued a letter to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on October 11, 2023 requesting the NOSB update their work agenda to include a discussion on amending the standard’s current term definition and practice standard for compost (7 CFR 205.2 and 7 CFR 205.203, respectively). The NOP’s request comes about following a recent petition submitted by…