CRAE members address conflict between food safety and environmental health
Since shortly after the 2006 E. coli outbreak traced to leafy greens in California’s Central Coast region, CRAE has provided a forum for a broad range of stakeholders to build mutual understanding, discuss, and craft widely-supported proposals to enhance food safety while honoring the important conservation role of agricultural producers. Some of the group’s activities are described below.
CRAE food safety principles to inform FDA produce safety standards
May 2010
CRAE submitted its guiding principles for national food safety efforts to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is compiling input for a new regulation in the works to govern the growing, harvesting, and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. The new rules are slated for release this fall. More information on national produce food safety efforts can be accessed through the Produce Safety Project.
CRAE produces principles to guide national produce food safety efforts
February 2010
Based on CRAE’s experience holding ongoing dialogues at the intersection of food safety and environmental health in California, CRAE members collaborated to produce 10 principles for safe and sustainable produce. These principles are equally relevant to industry-led, legislative and governmental agency efforts, and are intended to provide guidance both to existing and newly emerging food safety programs and requirements. CRAE has submitted the principles to inform a current FDA initiative to create industry guidelines for tomatoes, leafy greens and melons, the President’s food safety working group efforts to enhance food safety laws, and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service consideration of a National Leafy Greens Food Marketing Agreement.
CRAE continues efforts to bridge food safety and environmental goals in the E. coli aftermath
April 2009
CRAE members have been working to identify opportunities for resolution of food safety and environment conflicts that arose in the wake of the 2006 E. coli outbreak. A CRAE committee has been holding meetings with buyers, handlers, growers, and other key stakeholders in an effort to craft a process to meet multiple objectives, including halting unnecessary environmental damage and ensuring a high level of food safety for Californian leafy green products. Significant headway has been made and CRAE member organizations have forged substantial levels of trust and mutual understanding.
CRAE helps find common ground on food safety and environmental quality conflict
January 2008
In February 2007, CRAE held an expert panel and stakeholder dialogue to better understand the issues and opportunities for collective action. In December, CRAE hosted a meeting for key stakeholders. Participants numbered around 50 and included more than a dozen leading buyers, handlers and growers of leafy greens, as well as key scientists, regulators and representatives of conservation groups focused on the issues. This meeting represented a groundbreaking dialogue between conservation and industry interests that served to illuminate the complex issues at play, build trust and mutual understanding, and develop common recommendations for action to simultaneously meet food safety and environmental quality goals. A summary of the meeting can be accessed by clicking here.