Kuperus promotes New Jersey food safety program
Kuperus promotes New Jersey food safety program
TRENTON, NJ -- New Jersey has 500 farms that have qualified for the state's food safety training program, according to Charles Kuperus, the state's secretary of agriculture.
"We are being as proactive as we can be to really assist farmers to ramp up and meet new standards," Mr. Kuperus told The Produce News, adding that he personally had taken the food safety program in an event that was sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets, based in Rochester, NY. His own training and familiarity with the program were important to help him "understand what a farmer has to deal with."
He added, "Growers are receiving the message from retailers that it's very important that they are as proactive as possible." New Jersey has been "on the front line" in the food safety crusade since 1999, when it became the first state to approach the U.S. Department of Agriculture and suggest cooperation on a state-approved, voluntary food safety training and certification program. "We have a really strong history," he said. "Almost all of our peaches will be third-party audited this year."
Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, is training the industry to meet food safety certification procedures, Secretary Kuperus said. "We are doing this to meet consumer expectations." He noted that the escalating pet food safety concerns this spring are only expanding consumer concerns about the ongoing broad food safety issues.
"There is a lot at stake with food safety," he said. When "the produce safety issue" receives negative publicity, it "hurts retailers, producers and everyone in the food chain. The trade needs to be on the same song sheet."
Mr. Kuperus credited Tom Stenzel with "doing a good job" heading the national food safety program through his role as president and chief executive officer of the United Fresh Produce Association.
"We are being as proactive as we can be to really assist farmers to ramp up and meet new standards," Mr. Kuperus told The Produce News, adding that he personally had taken the food safety program in an event that was sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets, based in Rochester, NY. His own training and familiarity with the program were important to help him "understand what a farmer has to deal with."
He added, "Growers are receiving the message from retailers that it's very important that they are as proactive as possible." New Jersey has been "on the front line" in the food safety crusade since 1999, when it became the first state to approach the U.S. Department of Agriculture and suggest cooperation on a state-approved, voluntary food safety training and certification program. "We have a really strong history," he said. "Almost all of our peaches will be third-party audited this year."
Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, is training the industry to meet food safety certification procedures, Secretary Kuperus said. "We are doing this to meet consumer expectations." He noted that the escalating pet food safety concerns this spring are only expanding consumer concerns about the ongoing broad food safety issues.
"There is a lot at stake with food safety," he said. When "the produce safety issue" receives negative publicity, it "hurts retailers, producers and everyone in the food chain. The trade needs to be on the same song sheet."
Mr. Kuperus credited Tom Stenzel with "doing a good job" heading the national food safety program through his role as president and chief executive officer of the United Fresh Produce Association.
