Food Safety

FDA: Outbreaks show value of implementing produce safety standards

Fresh produce plays an important part of an overall healthy diet. While millions of servings of fresh produce are consumed safely every day, recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have once again placed produce safety in... more »

United Fresh names inaugural class of Produce Safety Immersion Program

United Fresh Produce Association is pleased to announce the Class One Fellows of the inaugural Produce Safety Immersion Program, sponsored by Renaissance Food Group at the gold level, and Ecolab as a silver sponsor. The... more »

USDA: Over 99 percent of samples well below EPA residue tolerances in 2018

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) initiated the Pesticide Data Program (PDP) in 1991 to collect data on pesticide residues in food, and the program now has an important role in the implementation of the... more »

Produce Marketing Association names new chief science officer

Produce Marketing Association announced Max Teplitski has accepted the role of Chief Science Officer for the association. Teplitski will lead PMA’s science, technology, supply chain and sustainability efforts when he joins the organization in January... more »

FDA provides flexibility for start of routine inspections on small farms

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing flexibility for when states may begin conducting routine inspections of small farms, other than sprouts operations, under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Routine inspections... more »

SmartWash Solutions celebrates 10 years in business

In its 10th year of serving the fresh-cut produce industry, Salinas, California-based SmartWash Solutions supports operations and food safety in eight countries, while effectively treating over five billion pounds of produce each year. This represents... more »

Hepatitis A potentially linked to blackberries from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local partners, announced Nov. 20 an investigation into multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A illnesses in Indiana,... more »

Comments sought on Produce GAPs Harmonized Standard

United Fresh has opened the public comment period to the just-posted redline version of the Produce GAPs Harmonized Standard, detailing the proposed revisions that were reviewed by the Technical Working Group at their September meeting.... more »