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At its last meeting, the LGMA Board voted unanimously to require its members to conduct preharvest testing of product grown in fields where elevated risk factors may be present. I’m not sure if people realize what a significant action this is when it comes to leafy greens safety and what a tremendous commitment it is for lettuce farmers.
The fastest and most efficient means of implementing pre-harvest testing on leafy greens farms is for buyers to require their suppliers to follow the LGMA Pre-Harvest Testing guidance.
The California LGMA Board has endorsed new Pre-Harvest Testing guidance in an effort to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with lettuce and leafy greens. The guidance calls for pre-harvest testing of leafy greens products when risk assessments deem it necessary, specifically when grown in proximity to animals.
Last year the LGMA approved significant changes to improve the safety of water used in farming leafy greens. These updates are now in place throughout the California leafy greens industry and represent a further strengthening of what were already the most stringent measures required of any produce commodity. These requirements also go well beyond what’s currently in place under federal Produce Safety Rule regulations.
In a year of unparalleled tragedies stemming from the pandemic to California wildfires, lettuce farmers in California and Arizona are taking action to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks.
Over 50 recommended changes were unanimously approved to strengthen food safety requirements for the production of leafy greens in the areas of Farm Water Use and Field/Equipment Sanitation. These are in addition to several significant changes made by the LGMA less than a year ago.
