In the US, it has been announced that the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) fresh produce chief Leanne Skelton is to join the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of a cooperation between the two bodies to help develop new food safety regulations.
The announcement comes amid stronger outreach efforts with agriculture and safe food stakeholders in the country to share and exchange produce safety best practices and ideas, the FDA said.
Ms Skelton, who has extensive experience working with the fresh produce industry, will be on detail with the FDA for a six-month period while the regulations are developed.
'President Obama, like most Americans, wants immediate improvements in our food safety system,' said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. 'As such, we are pulling together all our best resources – state and federal – to improve the safety of our foods and to work with growers to protect and promote the health of our nation.'
US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said that the move was another sign of the government's innovative and aggressive effort' to strengthen food protection, with the FDA set to gather information and feedback from the industry on the impact that new rules could have on their businesses.
'It is vitally important for us to hear ideas, concerns and experiences directly from local growers around the country as we develop rules to help protect the safety of fresh produce from the farm to the table,' added FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg. 'We will be that much more effective by working closely with farmers, our USDA partners and with state and local food safety agencies.'
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