CalRecycle has issued a final draft of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54), which establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic. Western Growers shared concerns about the produce industry’s ability to qualify for categorical exclusion.
Developed by an industry consortium led by Western Growers and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, the Roadmap to Sustainable Fresh Produce Packaging offers pragmatic recommendations for transforming packaging practices, based in the holistic concept of “Functional Sustainability.”
Western Growers and FDA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve fresh produce safety and prevent foodborne illnesses through a new data-sharing framework. The MOU is aligned with the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s recently published Roadmap to Produce Safety report.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Joelle Mosso about her work at Western Growers to help produce growers develop improved approaches to food safety and sustainability by considering the entire farm-to-fork continuum. She discusses microbial testing of agricultural water, the transition to sustainable packaging, hygienic design of farm equipment, and other topics.
A new coalition between various food safety stakeholders has been formed with the purpose of advocating for a modernized, effective Human Foods Program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
