Wishnatzki Farms Blog

I was cruising around a couple of produce industry websites and noticed an article discussing the latest food safety research symposium held at the University of California Irvine late last week.  The symposium had several industry participants as well as key research faculty from the University of California.  While there were several sessions the one that caught my attention was one discussing the role of government in the produce industry.  Food safety has been a major concern for the industry and several documents have been drafted and put in place including the Produce Traceability Initiative.

The main question is what is governments role in implementing a traceability guideline?  Currently, the produce industry has the ability to create its own practices and see that all handlers have the ability to trace their product back to the field. I personally think that government will be forced to step in and see that the proposed guidelines are followed.  However, I do not think that the government should have any involvement in creating the guidelines themselves.  Hopefully industry leaders are smart and see that they have this once chance to create a set of guidelines that is applicable across the entire industry and a technology comes forward that can be an industry solution. Researchers have received several federal grants allowing them to evaluate and develop methods for industry traceability and also members of industry have donated funds for research as well, including Taylor Farm’s contribution of more than $2 million.

I have heard several comments that industry leaders would like only certain commodities to be required to have full traceability.  Also, that because certain items are more prone to spreading food borne pathogens that they have more stringent requirements.  I do agree that certain items have a higher risk factor for harboring pathogens, but in order to ensure we have the safest food supply possible any legislation should be applied across the entire industry.  More importantly, this legislation should be applied to all imported product as well.  It would be detrimental to impose requirements on U.S. growers and ask them to burden an increased cost of doing business and not ask the same of his foreign counterpart.

I would like to see guidelines supported by legislation in the very near future.  Food safety is of major concern to consumers and it is disheartening to see outbreaks where people are sick and an entire commodity is to blame and not just the grower who had the contaminated product. Wishnatzki Farms has been very proactive with regards to current traceability guidelines and are working hard to stay ahead of the curve.