Editorial: The Future Of Food Safety
January 5, 2011 IT IS 2011 — already. Each year I’m amazed at how quickly the previous year passed. It seems like I blink and it’s New Year’s Eve — again. Last year was no different in that regard, but in spite of how the months flew, there was one topic that remained at the forefront for most of 2010: food safety.
In December, food safety legislation passed the House and Senate. At presstime, the Food Safety Modernization Act is on its way to President Obama’s desk for his signature. The big controversy over the bill, which will allow FDA to create new standards for the safety of fresh produce — among other things — is that it exempts small operations (selling less than $500,000).
Sounding Off
Since posting news updates about the pending legislation to GrowingProduce.com, we have received feedback from many of you. As you might suspect, cases were made both for and against the legislation. As in the past, it is mainly the large growers who are for across-the-board food safety rules and it is the small growers who typically balk at having to implement costly regulations.
Just because small growers do not want to jump through regulatory hurdles, however, doesn’t mean they aren’t committed to providing their customers with the safest produce possible. A good example of this is recent feedback we received on our website: “I am a small market farmer. It does not necessarily take much money to make sure our products are safe. It takes good sense, good practices, and good handling.”
Don’t Get Lost In The Details
Exemptions aside, however, we can’t lose sight of the big picture: All growers must supply the safest produce possible — from the 5-acre farm with a roadside stand to the largest operations in the country. Period.
I’m 100% certain that small operations will continue to strive for excellence and provide their customers with the safest produce they possibly can. What is at risk? Well, for starters, their collective livelihoods. With potential new regulations, the pressure to hold themselves to the highest standards may be even greater than before.
In some areas of the country, growers are being proactive when it comes to food safety. For example, in Ohio a three-tiered food safety plan is
in the works.
I saw another example last month at the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids, MI, where growers discussed food safety plans and audits at one of the educational sessions. Most of the growers attending the session operate farms of fewer than 1,000 acres. Although there was some grumbling in the room, the importance of supplying the safest food possible was the overriding theme. As one grower put it: “If food safety is the issue, we are all involved.”
That statement hits the nail on the head as we await word on what happens with this historic piece of legislation: Food safety affects us all. So in the end, if small operations remain exempt from regulations, the ball will be in their court. It is my belief that they will step up to the challenge.
Do you agree or disagree with me? Go to GrowingProduce.com, click on Opinion in the pull-down tab and then click on American Vegetable Grower Opinions. At the end of the column there is a comment box for you to tell me what you think.