Five Major Food Companies Form Leafy Greens Safety Coalition
According to multiplereports, five major food retailers have joined to form the new Leafy Greens Safety Coalition in an effort to push the improvement of illness prevention and traceability.
The retailers—Costco, Kroger, Walmart, Wegman’s, and Yum Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell)—fully endorse the recommendations of the Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force—which includes the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, the Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Produce Association, and other parties. The task force convened after Escherichia coli outbreaks attributed to the consumption of leafy greens swept the U.S. in 2017 and 2018. In total, three foodborne illness outbreaks that were tied to either leafy greens or romaine lettuce resulted in almost 300 illnesses and 6 deaths across the U.S.