FMI to hold December meeting on leafy greens
FMI to hold December meeting on leafy greens
WASHINGTON -- Retailers and produce suppliers will be meeting next month to review the industry's leafy greens action plan as buyers push to gain confidence in next spring's leafy green crops.
The Food Marketing Institute is holding a meeting Dec. 5 in Phoenix to hear an update on the cpntaminated spinach investigation, review the produce industry's new action plan and develop new purchasing guidelines for leafy greens.
More than 200 people in 26 states were sickened and several people died after eating California-grown fresh spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Months later, the spinach industry is still struggling to regain consumer confidence in the product, and restaurants and retailers are looking for an added layer of protection by reviewing buying contracts.
"Our next step is to bring together buyers and suppliers to discuss what changes need to be made, to review and comment on the action plan and to ensure the effectiveness of verification and compliance programs," said an FMI spokesperson. "Together we can identify and implement the steps necessary to rebuild confidence in the safety of fresh produce."
FMI spokesman Bill Greer said that its critical suppliers and buyers work together now to ensure the safety of next year's crop as new regulations would take years to develop. There is a sense of urgency in the current situation, he said. Retailers want the best practices for growers in place by next spring, he said.
To update the group on the spinach investigation, FMI has invited Barbara Cassens, the Food & Drug Administration's San Francisco district director, Jeff Farrar of the California Department of Health Services, Faye Feldstein of FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, Katherine Swanson of Ecolab Inc. and Trevor Suslow of the University of California-Davis.
After members of the produce trade associations outline the latest Lettuce & Leafy Greens Industry Action Plan, the Produce Marketing Association is slated to present the latest research on consumer confidence in leafy greens. Toni Hofer, food safety department manager for Raley's, a supermarket chain based in West Sacramento, CA, and Paul Ryan of FMI's Safe Quality Food Institute, are also invited.
FMI's SQF program was developed in 2003 to help retailers and consumers gain confidence in products through an independent certification program. Members of the SQF Fresh Produce Technical Subcommittee plan to meet the following day to review its certification program for fresh produce.
On the restaurant side, the National Restaurant Association is also working on revising its food-safety guidelines for fresh produce and plans to have a document available by the end of the year.
The Food Marketing Institute is holding a meeting Dec. 5 in Phoenix to hear an update on the cpntaminated spinach investigation, review the produce industry's new action plan and develop new purchasing guidelines for leafy greens.
More than 200 people in 26 states were sickened and several people died after eating California-grown fresh spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Months later, the spinach industry is still struggling to regain consumer confidence in the product, and restaurants and retailers are looking for an added layer of protection by reviewing buying contracts.
"Our next step is to bring together buyers and suppliers to discuss what changes need to be made, to review and comment on the action plan and to ensure the effectiveness of verification and compliance programs," said an FMI spokesperson. "Together we can identify and implement the steps necessary to rebuild confidence in the safety of fresh produce."
FMI spokesman Bill Greer said that its critical suppliers and buyers work together now to ensure the safety of next year's crop as new regulations would take years to develop. There is a sense of urgency in the current situation, he said. Retailers want the best practices for growers in place by next spring, he said.
To update the group on the spinach investigation, FMI has invited Barbara Cassens, the Food & Drug Administration's San Francisco district director, Jeff Farrar of the California Department of Health Services, Faye Feldstein of FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, Katherine Swanson of Ecolab Inc. and Trevor Suslow of the University of California-Davis.
After members of the produce trade associations outline the latest Lettuce & Leafy Greens Industry Action Plan, the Produce Marketing Association is slated to present the latest research on consumer confidence in leafy greens. Toni Hofer, food safety department manager for Raley's, a supermarket chain based in West Sacramento, CA, and Paul Ryan of FMI's Safe Quality Food Institute, are also invited.
FMI's SQF program was developed in 2003 to help retailers and consumers gain confidence in products through an independent certification program. Members of the SQF Fresh Produce Technical Subcommittee plan to meet the following day to review its certification program for fresh produce.
On the restaurant side, the National Restaurant Association is also working on revising its food-safety guidelines for fresh produce and plans to have a document available by the end of the year.
