Stenzel - A useful first step

Measured and careful, these comments illustrate that United is walking a fine in reaffirming the need for a strong role for federal oversight of produce safety while at the same time helping to define what the parameters of such oversight should include. What follows is a statement by United Fresh Produce Association president Tom Stenzel about the Produce Safety Act of 2007:
From United:


“Senator Harkin has been a long champion of the need to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables to improve public health, as well as a strong supporter of food safety measures to assure that the public enjoys the safest, highest quality fruits and vegetables possible.

“The legislation Senator Harkin has introduced today is a useful first step in considering ways in which the government can be even more effective in ensuring safety and also raising public confidence to increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our industry’s first commitment is to food safety, and we are working hard every day to implement the most rigorous food safety practices from field to table. These practices are commodity-specific, and thus are tailored to address specific preventative measures for different commodities that are grown and harvested in many different ways.

“For example, the United Fresh Produce Research and Education Foundation is holding a two-day international seminar today and tomorrow bringing together researchers from government, academia and industry to address research needs to further enhance best practices to assure the safety of leafy greens.

“We also believe in a strong role for government oversight to assure consumers that we are complying with the very best scientific standards. We recognize that our products are grown naturally in an open, outdoor environment, in which zero risk is our overwhelming goal, but cannot be a scientific certainty. That’s where strong scientific oversight by government is essential in assuring the public that industry is meeting the most demanding standards in everything we do. In the event that we do detect a potential problem, we also work aggressively with the government to recall potentially harmful products to prevent actual illness to the consumer. It’s important to recognize that a proactive recall to prevent illness is a positive step, and a frequent occurrence throughout all sectors of the broader food industry. Yet, prevention of any potential contamination from field to fork is our first priority.

“On first review, we see some elements of Senator Harkin’s bill that we believe could be useful steps, and others that may be well-intentioned but not productive in enhancing public health and safety. For example, we support greater FDA oversight in ensuring that strong Good Agricultural Practices are developed and applied to various commodities based on potential risk. In addition, we support the call for greater public education and research in the area of produce food safety, and a commitment that domestic and imported produce must meet the same safety standards regardless of point of origin. At the same time, some of the suggestions in the legislation are overly prescriptive calling for on-farm management systems that would offer limited value in assuring food safety. We believe those are the types of issues and recommendations that are best determined in cooperation with scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA, rather than in legislation.

“Our industry intends to work with Senator Harkin and other Congressional leaders to ensure that we are indeed taking all steps needed to grow and market the safest possible produce, and give consumers the confidence they need to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables to meet the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, reduce the incidence of obesity, and improve their long-term health.”