Posted December 10, 2013
USDA recently announced its termination of the proposed
leafy green marketing agreement (LGMA) that would have allowed the industry to
develop and oversee leafy green handling guidelines within limits set by the
FDA and other regulators, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here.
USDA noted that the shift in policy was due to the Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, which will affect the leafy green industry. The department wrote, “This ongoing
rulemaking may affect fundamental aspects of the leafy green vegetable
marketing agreement program. As a result,
it is appropriate to terminate the leafy green vegetable marketing agreement
rulemaking proceeding at this time.” The
Federal Register notice is available here.
Western Growers, a produce association based in Arizona
and California, said it was “disappointed” with the decision. Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western
Growers, said he hopes “USDA can re-engage in food safety in a meaningful way
and work constructively with reluctant parties to foster a culture and
commitment to food safety.”
LGMA agreements will continue in California and
Arizona, where they began in 2006. Food
Safety News also reported on the story, here.
For more information on food safety, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
