In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods” (the Traceability Rule or FSMA Rule 204), proposing regulations mandating the establishment and sharing of food production-related records to shorten the FDA’s investigations of outbreaks when they occur. After extending the original comment period until…
Call for Volunteers Western Growers Association (WGA) and International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) are looking for volunteers to join a working group that represents cantaloupe operations (such as growing, packing, shipping, value-added and fresh-cut), industry stakeholders (such as government entities, academia and the buying community). The purpose of this group is to share feedback…
Western Growers formed the Food Safety Advisory Subcommittee (FSAS) in early 2021 to bolster its efforts to solve produce safety challenges. FSAS members advise Western Growers Science staff and the Science Committee, which reports to the WG Board of Directors. Members of the Subcommittee will be kept abreast of WG’s key food safety initiatives and efforts. They will also provide WG’s…
WG Science, in collaboration with the Arizona and California LGMAs, is hosting a two-part webinar series to share current knowledge and best food safety practices for leafy greens operations during transition periods, which have been identified as times of vulnerability requiring particular vigilance. Topics to be covered will include industry efforts to prevent leafy greens ...
In an effort to provide guidance to employers during COVID-19, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Cal/OSHA are continually developing resources and webinars on worker protection and workplace best practices. OSHA recently distributed a “COVID-19 Guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings while Working Indoors in Hot and Humid Conditions” document that ...
The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) recently announced its annual call for preliminary research proposals and corresponding research priorities, which are focused on applied research. In order to conduct applied research, scientists heavily rely on access to industry expertise, fields/facilities and samples; therefore, CPS is encouraging companies throughout the produce supply and value…
Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods. FDA also published a draft Food Traceability List (FTL), which describes the foods that would be subject to the proposed requirements. The proposed FTL consist of several foods including leafy greens, cucumbers, herbs…
Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released their 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan. The plan outlines steps to advance the safety of fresh leafy greens in response to recurring foodborne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections with a confirmed or suspected link to leafy greens. To support its ...
Increasingly, the marketplace is demanding an accounting of sustainability practices, but how are you measuring and communicating stewardship in your operations? Western Growers, in partnership with the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) and SupplyShift, has developed a Stewardship Calculator, an advanced online tool and visualization platform that allows growers and supply chain…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be hosting three online public meetings to discuss the recently released proposed rule “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods.” The meetings will provide additional information about the proposed rule, which was issued under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and are intended to facilitate and ...
From reducing food waste, energy, and GHG emissions to improving soil health, today’s growers and packer shippers are identifying new and ingenious ways to further sustainability efforts while meeting the ever-increasing demands from agricultural consumers. Though sustainability can be difficult to quantify, we now have a method to measure on-farm sustainability efforts! Western Growers,…
The use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) is now commonplace technology in food regulatory agencies and has enhanced the ability of public health agencies to respond to risks associated with food pathogens as well as foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. On the other hand, the food industry is slowly uncovering WGS capabilities that can support food ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a multi-year study to improve food safety by addressing knowledge gaps in order to advance prevention. The FDA—in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California, Davis, Western Center for Food Safety and agricultural stakeholders in the Central Coast of California—is launching ...
To minimize the risk of COVID-19 for all parties involved, CDFA has decided to conduct all California LGMA audit record reviews remotely effective December 16, 2020. The California LGMA recently announced that this change will be in place for the foreseeable future. We encourage you to take advantage of WG’s online platform to fulfill your ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continually providing information and rolling out updates about the COVID-19 vaccines. Below are links to the recently updated CDC web pages, including a Q&A section: Different COVID-19 Vaccines FAQ about COVID-19 Vaccination General Vaccine Info How is CDC making COVID-19 vaccine recommendations 8 things to know ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has two notable updates regarding the proposed traceability rule. Firstly, the agency included clarifications under the Food Traceability List; however, the agency did not revise which foods are actually on the list. FDA released a memo that outlines the specific edits. Secondly, FDA has published an FAQ ...
On January 27th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the conclusion of its investigation of the 2020 outbreak E. coli O157:H7 infections associated with leafy greens. While a final investigation report is yet to be released, the agency has shared an important finding regarding the presence of a recurring strain of E. coli ...
Cornell University is conducting a research study titled “Modeling and Training to Enhance Resilience of the U.S. Food System to COVID-19 Labor Shortages,” to assess the most urgent needs of the food industry with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the study, Cornell is encouraging participation in an anonymous 30-minute survey to help identify the ...
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 ...
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 ...