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LGMA members work to provide the safest leafy greens on the market; however, if a company is found to be out of compliance with the food safety standards the program can decertify a member. Although this happens rarely, California LGMA recently decertified a member company.
LGMA staff and industry members were saddened to hear of the recent passing of Hank Giclas, who played a pivotal role in advancing leafy greens food safety and creating the LGMA food safety program. Hank’s career included over 30 years at Western Growers from 1990 until his retirement in 2020.
In May 2022, the California LGMA and STOP Foodborne Illness provided an update to the 2014 video, titled The Why Behind Food Safety, to continue to tell the stories of Rylee, Lauren and Dan. The updated video can be used in concert with the first to drive home additional food safety culture messages.
The produce industry is one-of-a-kind, impacted by a variety of factors from weather to cost of inputs, regulations and food trends. And while the produce industry is no doubt unique, there are powerful lessons that can be found by looking across sectors, particularly to industries that share a common charge: protecting consumer safety.
California LGMA has two sign-up periods. One is at the beginning of CA LGMA’s fiscal year (deadline April 1) which is timely for companies in the Salinas Valley region. The second deadline (October 1) accommodates handlers in other regions of the state such as the Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys. Current members do not need to sign up again.
Yesterday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced it will accept either pre-harvest or finished product testing as part of its requirements for importing romaine lettuce into Canada between September 30 and December 31, 2021. The requirements apply to romaine lettuce grown in four California counties: Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey.
