Mar 16, 2016

New York apples contribute to food safety campaign

Two New York state apple industry leaders have contributed a combined $55,000 to the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) to help fund produce-specific food safety research.

New York Apple Association (NYAA) contributed $50,000 to CPS’ Campaign for Produce Safety. New York Apple Sales, one of the state’s largest apple sales agencies, contributed $5,000. The CPS campaign seeks to raise $20 million over five years to fund produce-specific food safety research.

“Apples are the icon of health and a favorite food for all ages of consumers. We are making this leadership contribution because our growers know that safeguarding their future depends on safeguarding that consumer trust,” said NYAA President Jim Allen.

“We want to increase apple consumption, and to do that we must maintain and sustain our customers’ confidence,” said New York Apple Sales Owner and President Kaari Stannard. “We support CPS because its work cuts through the noise to deliver science-based research that can be acted on in our real world.”

NYAA joins Washington State Tree Fruit Association in contributing to the CPS Campaign for Produce Safety. NYAA’s Allen took the opportunity to issue a challenge to other apple industry groups. (From the corporate side of the industry, Rice Fruit Company and Tree Top, Inc., have also contributed to the CPS campaign.)

“In this case, we’re happy to follow Washington’s lead,” Allen said. “Seriously, in turn we’re hoping other state apple groups will follow our lead to also support CPS’s crucial work.”