At this week’s Fresh Summit in San Diego, California, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) president Bryan Silbermann announced the association’s board of directors has approved the outline of a comprehensive new programme to ensure consumers’ continued confidence in the safety of produce.
At its annual meeting, the board authorised $1 million in new funds to be allocated over the next 14 months to a four-pronged programme designed to reinforce existing and determine new industry standards for food safety that extend from field to fork.
The plan will be coordinated with key industry association partners to avoid duplication and ensure a timely response. The activities in the plan will also form the basis of proactive communications with state and federal government regulators.
The multi-faceted programme will include a research agenda to enhance growing and processing practices, enhanced education and training for all parts of the supply chain, and a verification component to help industry members evaluate their adherence to benchmark practices. In addition, the plan calls for a consumer communications campaign aimed at rebuilding confidence in produce.
“In the past few weeks, the industry has faced a ‘perfect storm’ of food safety issues that has extended beyond the salad business to touch the entire industry, no matter what product you grow, package, transport, or sell,” said Silbermann. “This storm represents a tipping point for fresh produce, and our industry will be judged by our customers and the government by how much we change to strengthen our supply chain in the weeks, months and years ahead.”
He was referring to the E.coli outbreak traced back to bagged spinach, and had said at the time: “We cannot rest until we find and eliminate the sources of these illnesses. PMA stands ready to help Natural Selection Foods [see below] and any other member company impacted by this ongoing crisis in any way possible.”
PMA exec committee chairman Janet Erickson added: “The plan will be an important factor in reinforcing the entire produce value chain and will be instrumental in helping the industry achieve its goal of zero illness. I am looking forward to working with the volunteer leaders of the other key associations to implement the plan.”
