March 5, 2020

FDA Releases the 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan, detailing steps the agency plans to take this year to ensure the safety of leafy greens. In this release, the agency stated an unwavering commitment to advancing the safety of fresh leafy greens. FDA recognizes that leafy greens are among the most widely consumed vegetables and an important part of an overall healthy diet, but also stressed that this produce commodity has been implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness, and believes the agency, along with leafy greens sector stakeholders, can do more.

In light of the recurring nature of the outbreaks, FDA has developed an action plan to advance their work in prevention, response and addressing knowledge gaps. This plan will promote a more urgent, collaborative and action-oriented approach to outbreaks. The agency is planning to host a webinar in the coming weeks to provide more details regarding this plan. More information will soon be available on FDA.gov.

Western Growers remains committed to working with FDA and the leafy greens sector to achieve common goals. Western Growers will continue to monitor this development and work with others in the supply chain to promote the safety of leafy greens.

For full details, please access the FDA  website.

Click here to read the 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan

For more information, please contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251.