Western Growers will take action to initiate a California Marketing Agreement and a Marketing Order that establish mandatory Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) that strengthen spinach and leafy green food safety procedures.
The action by the trade association's board of directors would also include initiating a federal marketing order to develop comprehensive and mandatory national spinach and leafy green food safety standards.
The effect of these actions, when completed, will be to impose enhanced and mandatory food safety processes on all aspects of growing, packing, processing, and shipping of spinach and leafy greens. State and federal government regulatory agencies will oversee enforcement and process verification.
In addition, Western Growers has formed a close working relationship with other association partners: the Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Produce Association, Grower Shipper Association of Central California, and the California Farm Bureau Federation.
