LGMA Comments on Food Safety Modernization Act
The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has submitted its official comments on the act, suggesting a different, quicker regulatory move
Created in 2007 after the 2006 E. coli outbreak, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement is designed to help prevent foodborne illnesses from leafy greens from occurring. According to Food Safety News, the organization has submitted its official comments on the Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act.
As stated in the organization’s comments, their comments include various suggestions; including one that would “quickly allow it to regulate 90 percent of the leafy greens produced in the US at no cost to the public.” The LGMA associations in California and Arizona would take charge of ensuring that leafy greens are compliant with FSMA. LGMA has requested the FDA sign a Memorandum of Understanding with them.
STOP Foodborne Illness and Congressional representatives have supported this proposal. Since 2007, government auditors have been using LGMA in California and Arizona to verify that food safety practices are being used on leafy greens farms.
The organization has also submitted comments requesting the FDA to provide industry-specific training programs (such as “LGMA Tech”). They have also asked that kale be removed from the list of products exempt from the FSMA.