Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Adopts New, More Stringent Food Safety Practices to Prevent Outbreaks

California leafy greens producers voted to strengthen mandatory food safety practices required on farms. The action is designed to protect consumers and prevent future foodborne illness outbreaks.

The Words That Can’t Be Spoken: Who is Buying Product Not in Compliance With Leafy Greens Metrics? Where are the Industry Leaders Stepping Up to Solve This Problem? Tightening Water Metrics is Great — But Not Enough. Eliminating the 1% From Commercial Trade is a Financial and Moral Obligation

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement announced they would be tightening metrics related to surface water used for overhead irrigation in response to the food safety issues of 2018. Taylor Farms announced it would only source product from growers who perform on-site treatment of water used in overhead irrigation. These are both very positive steps for the industry and real signs of leadership. But in reading the LGMA release, we couldn’t help but be drawn to the missing 1%. It is obvious that even the 1% of non-compliance is a risk too large for the industry to take.

Food Safety Expert Greg Komar joins the California LGMA Staff

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) is pleased to announce that Greg Komar has been hired as the organization’s new Technical Director. Mike Villaneva, the LGMA’s current Technical Director, is retiring in May of 2019. Komar will report directly to LGMA CEO, Scott Horsfall.

LGMA: Government Shutdown Has No Impact on Romaine Safety

“Government food safety audits of leafy greens fields in the southern desert areas of California and Yuma, AZ are continuing as usual,” said Scott Horsfall, CEO of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. “These efforts are not impacted by the current government shutdown and, the leafy greens community continues to work diligently to protect public health.”