California releases new tomato standards
California releases new tomato standards
In an effort to curb the gunnysacking of tomatoes, the California Department of Food & Agriculture has issued new standards requiring each container of fresh-market tomatoes to include a grower name and lot number. In addition, stricter packing standards have been issued regarding the appearance of the tomato in a carton or box.
Ed Beckman, president of the California Tomato Commission in Fresno, said that the issue arose two years ago when it was discovered that numerous tomatoes grown and packed for a processor were ending up in fresh-market channels. It has been somewhat of an open secret that when tomato prices climb, some processing tomatoes end up in farmers markets and even wholesale produce markets sold as fresh tomatoes, often in non- tomato boxes.
"Gunnysacking" refers to the relatively common, days-gone-by practice of illegally harvesting product into gunnysacks and then selling it through non-traditional channels. In this case, many in the tomato industry believe that while some product was stolen from the field, much more was being marketed by the rightful owner in a less-than-conventional way.
Until the new regulations, Mr. Beckman said that a grower could place his processing tomatoes in a non-tomato carton, ship it to the Seventh Street Market in Los Angeles, for example, and have it sold on the market with little problem.
"The CDFA was very worried about the traceback issue," Mr. Beckman said. "If there was ever a food-safety problem, there would be no way to know where the tomatoes came from." This new regulation will allow for traceback and will also allow the California Tomato Commission to receive assessments from any grower selling fresh-market tomatoes, in accordance with the law governing the commission. Any grower or handler who attempts to sell tomatoes into the fresh market will have to be registered with the commission. The new appearance standard requires a box of tomatoes to be free of dirt and similar foreign substances when it enters fresh-market channels.
In addition, Mr. Beckman said that CDFA has indicated that it will have more inspectors located on the major produce markets throughout the state to police and enforce these new regulations.
Ed Beckman, president of the California Tomato Commission in Fresno, said that the issue arose two years ago when it was discovered that numerous tomatoes grown and packed for a processor were ending up in fresh-market channels. It has been somewhat of an open secret that when tomato prices climb, some processing tomatoes end up in farmers markets and even wholesale produce markets sold as fresh tomatoes, often in non- tomato boxes.
"Gunnysacking" refers to the relatively common, days-gone-by practice of illegally harvesting product into gunnysacks and then selling it through non-traditional channels. In this case, many in the tomato industry believe that while some product was stolen from the field, much more was being marketed by the rightful owner in a less-than-conventional way.
Until the new regulations, Mr. Beckman said that a grower could place his processing tomatoes in a non-tomato carton, ship it to the Seventh Street Market in Los Angeles, for example, and have it sold on the market with little problem.
"The CDFA was very worried about the traceback issue," Mr. Beckman said. "If there was ever a food-safety problem, there would be no way to know where the tomatoes came from." This new regulation will allow for traceback and will also allow the California Tomato Commission to receive assessments from any grower selling fresh-market tomatoes, in accordance with the law governing the commission. Any grower or handler who attempts to sell tomatoes into the fresh market will have to be registered with the commission. The new appearance standard requires a box of tomatoes to be free of dirt and similar foreign substances when it enters fresh-market channels.
In addition, Mr. Beckman said that CDFA has indicated that it will have more inspectors located on the major produce markets throughout the state to police and enforce these new regulations.
