Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

LGMA: Here's What the Produce Industry is Doing to Make Romaine Lettuce Safer

January 31, 2020

In light of recent foodborne illness outbreaks involving romaine lettuce, the U.S. produce industry is taking action to prevent future illnesses with efforts underway to address the issue from several aspects. 

  1. FARMING PRACTICES MADE SAFER: Lettuce farmers in California and Arizona have banned the use of untreated surface water for irrigation prior to harvest. Additionally, they have increased the required distance between crops and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. These food safety practices are required as a part of the LGMA food safety program, whose members farm 94% of U.S. lettuce.
  2. TRAINING FOR FARMERS AND WORKERS: Free training is being conducted by the LGMA to help farmers in California and Arizona incorporate the new food safety practices into their operations. Other organizations who work with the agricultural community — including Western Growers and The Grower/Shipper Association of Central California — have also begun doing outreach and training to help farmers comply with the new food safety requirements.
  3. IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES: A review and technical assessment of LGMA’s food safety practices are being facilitated by Western Growers. The process is informed by food safety experts and updated research findings. Western Growers will present independent, third-party analysis of potential changes to LGMA for consideration and adoption. Additionally, the LGMA has created a series of subcommittees to address all aspects of the food safety practices. A subcommittee has been formed and is meeting regularly to review additional updates to agricultural water standards. Other subcommittees are being appointed to address soil amendments, harvest equipment sanitation and issues related to proximity of animal operations.
  4. RESEARCH INITIATIVES: The Center for Produce Safety funds research to find solutions for important food safety issues. Since it was established in 2007, the Center for Produce Safety has invested $29 million in government grants and industry contributions to conduct 172 research projects. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension scientists are partnering with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Arizona LGMA and local irrigation districts on a multi-year study of growing practices and the environment in Yuma, AZ. The goal is to learn how environmental influences in the region impact the risk of produce becoming contaminated. The study is funded by the FDA and findings will provide recommendations to farmers on best practices to enhance food safety. A similar study facilitated by the FDA and the California Department of Agriculture is also planned in California to characterize and mitigate risk brought about through the environment.
  5. SUPPLY CHAIN JOINT EFFORTS: Following the November 2018 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, national produce industry associations came together to form the Romaine Task Force. This effort is being spearheaded by the Produce Marketing Association and the United Fresh Produce Association. It involves over 100 stakeholders who are examining critical areas where improvements need to be made across the romaine supply chain. They have focused on four areas: science/prevention, traceability, provenance labeling, and the investigation/collaboration process. An initial report with proposed recommendations is available here. A group of some of the nation’s largest retailers and restaurants have also formed a coalition to focus on strengthening prevention and modernizing traceability. This effort, called the Leafy Greens Safety Coalition, includes Costco, Kroger, Walmart, Wegmans and Yum! Brands. The Coalition has stated publicly that it supports the recommendations of the Romaine Task Force (above) and is committed to working with their suppliers to further tighten food safety specifications.
  6. PATHOGEN TESTING: The FDA has announced it will be conducting a focused assignment to collect samples of raw agricultural commodity romaine lettuce to test for Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli. The FDA plans to collect over 270 samples of romaine lettuce over the next 12 months beginning this month. This effort is intended to help the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and state public health agencies to identify sources of contamination and factors that may be contributing to them, so they can be addressed.

LGMA's list of actions comes just after the FDA announced that investigations had concluded for three different romaine lettuce outbreaks in the U.S. All of those outbreaks involved lettuce grown in the Salinas, CA, growing region.


Author(s): LGMA

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Meat/Poultry
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Training
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Risk Assessment
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

recalled sysco and lyons imperial nutritional shakes

Listeria Outbreak Linked to Nutritional Shakes Served at Healthcare Facilities Causes 14 Deaths

Scientist inspecting food substance with microscope

FDA Announces ‘Proactive’ Post-Market Chemical Review Program to Keep Food Supply Safe

Image of fish on ice

Common Fish Food Poisoning Types and Prevention Methods

Events

June 12, 2025

Additive Bans Ahead: Your Guide to Avoiding Risk and Maintaining Agility

Live: June 12, 2025 at 12:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn how ingredient bans will impact product development, labeling, and sourcing.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • LGMA Forms Adjacent Lands Subcommittee to Address Romaine Lettuce Contamination

    See More
  • FDA: Contaminated Romaine Lettuce is from California

    See More
  • person testing in romaine field

    California LGMA’s “Romaine Test and Learn” Will Collect Members’ Pathogen Testing Data to Improve Microbial Food Safety Knowledge

    See More
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing