Mexico and U.S. forge new cantaloupe agreement
Mexico and U.S. forge new cantaloupe agreement
WASHINGTON -- After three years of negotiations, Mexican and U.S. officials inked an agreement that spells out new safety rules for Mexican cantaloupe growers who want to ship product to the United States.
"We're pleased that our years of effort to pressure the two governments to come together have finally paid off," said Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, who added that the agreement was hammered out three years ago, but recent political changes in both countries made it easier for technical staff to finish it.
The new agreement sets out a transparent protocol for the Food & Drug Administration and the food safety branch of the Mexican Department of Agriculture, or SENASICA, to allow Mexican cantaloupe shippers with good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices to resume shipments to the United States. The transparency is critical since these growers have had conflicting guidance on what was needed to get back into the market, said Mr. Frankel.
Mexico's cantaloupe industry was crippled after consumers became ill during several Salmonella outbreaks in 2000, 2001 and 2002. After tracing the cantaloupe to Mexico, FDA officials criticized Mexican authorities for not having the regulatory rules to address the unsanitary conditions that FDA believes lead to Salmonella contamination.
Mexico has not shipped winter cantaloupe to the United States since 2002, and growers from Honduras and Costa Rica have increased market share during the winter months, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This agreement comes as U.S. production of cantaloupes is winding down. Although Irvine, CA-based Western Growers Association, which represents growers in California and Arizona, has yet to see the final document, Executive Vice President Matt McInerney said that he applauded both governments for having a "laser focus" in looking into the situation.
"We are confident that they will put together a system that represents a fair and equitable approach." At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter where the cantaloupes are produced but that they adhere to a consistent program, said Mr. McInerney.
Under the new agreement announced Oct. 26, growers with no history of safety problems and who have their growing, packing and traceability systems certified by the Mexican government can ship product to the United States. Growers will be subject to FDA audits and mandatory sampling of their first shipments.
Companies that have had past problems will have to take several additional steps to be removed from the FDA Import Alert. First they must work with SENASICA to certify their fields and with Mexico's secretary of health to certify the packinghouse. The growers must also certify their water use practices with Mexico's National Water Commission, and they will still go through the sampling and audit program with FDA.
"We're confident that this is a good risk-based system that will allow cantaloupe shippers with a history of safe product to once again have access to the U.S. market," said Mr. Frankel, whose group is located in Nogales, AZ, the largest port of entry for fresh produce exported to the United States from Mexico. The new specifications are "extensive but reachable," he said.
But even with the new agreement, it will be a long time before Mexican cantaloupe growers regain the market. "It will be difficult to get back the price-first customer," said Mr. Frankel. The price-conscious customer may prefer Central American products shipped by ocean freight rather than the Mexican cantaloupes hauled by truck.
But if customers are looking for flavor, "there will still be space in the U.S. market" for Mexican cantaloupes, he said.
"We're pleased that our years of effort to pressure the two governments to come together have finally paid off," said Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, who added that the agreement was hammered out three years ago, but recent political changes in both countries made it easier for technical staff to finish it.
The new agreement sets out a transparent protocol for the Food & Drug Administration and the food safety branch of the Mexican Department of Agriculture, or SENASICA, to allow Mexican cantaloupe shippers with good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices to resume shipments to the United States. The transparency is critical since these growers have had conflicting guidance on what was needed to get back into the market, said Mr. Frankel.
Mexico's cantaloupe industry was crippled after consumers became ill during several Salmonella outbreaks in 2000, 2001 and 2002. After tracing the cantaloupe to Mexico, FDA officials criticized Mexican authorities for not having the regulatory rules to address the unsanitary conditions that FDA believes lead to Salmonella contamination.
Mexico has not shipped winter cantaloupe to the United States since 2002, and growers from Honduras and Costa Rica have increased market share during the winter months, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This agreement comes as U.S. production of cantaloupes is winding down. Although Irvine, CA-based Western Growers Association, which represents growers in California and Arizona, has yet to see the final document, Executive Vice President Matt McInerney said that he applauded both governments for having a "laser focus" in looking into the situation.
"We are confident that they will put together a system that represents a fair and equitable approach." At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter where the cantaloupes are produced but that they adhere to a consistent program, said Mr. McInerney.
Under the new agreement announced Oct. 26, growers with no history of safety problems and who have their growing, packing and traceability systems certified by the Mexican government can ship product to the United States. Growers will be subject to FDA audits and mandatory sampling of their first shipments.
Companies that have had past problems will have to take several additional steps to be removed from the FDA Import Alert. First they must work with SENASICA to certify their fields and with Mexico's secretary of health to certify the packinghouse. The growers must also certify their water use practices with Mexico's National Water Commission, and they will still go through the sampling and audit program with FDA.
"We're confident that this is a good risk-based system that will allow cantaloupe shippers with a history of safe product to once again have access to the U.S. market," said Mr. Frankel, whose group is located in Nogales, AZ, the largest port of entry for fresh produce exported to the United States from Mexico. The new specifications are "extensive but reachable," he said.
But even with the new agreement, it will be a long time before Mexican cantaloupe growers regain the market. "It will be difficult to get back the price-first customer," said Mr. Frankel. The price-conscious customer may prefer Central American products shipped by ocean freight rather than the Mexican cantaloupes hauled by truck.
But if customers are looking for flavor, "there will still be space in the U.S. market" for Mexican cantaloupes, he said.
