Changes to leafy greens agreement

Here is coverage that details changes in the California leafy greens marketing agreement. From the Monterey County Herald:

The California Leafy Green Handler Marketing board, meeting at the Richard Nutter Agriculture Center in Salinas, approved changes to clarify the way state inspectors audit participating growers and handlers process their produce. Under the agreement, participating handlers — including everyone who touches the produce on its way from fields to stores — voluntarily follow a list of safety procedures that earn their products the state's seal of approval. Handlers pay for the cost of the auditing program, which is administered by the state Food and Agriculture Department, and only buy produce from growers who follow similarly strict procedures. Though voluntary, the agreement has been signed by nearly all of the leafy greens processors, rendering the guidelines nearly mandatory. There are 111 signatories to the agreement, including 49 in Monterey County. Bob Martin, general manager of Rio Farms in King City and a member of the marketing group's technical advisory committee, said the changes will clear up confusion and miscommunication that occurred immediately after the agreement was implemented in April. The state approved the original agreement in February.
Meanwhile, the state Senate earlier this week approved three bills authored by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, aimed at preventing E. coli outbreaks. Despite heavy opposition from agricultural industry groups, the bills advance to the Assembly. Florez is among the critics who believe the industry must take a more stringent approach toward produce safety than the voluntary program.

TK: There was some talk about the marketing agreement at the June 4 Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. There evidently is some consideration whether the "seal of approval" should be consumer focused or trade focused. Having the seal on packages from California but not on packages from Arizona or other states, for example, might confuse consumers.