State Senator Galgiani Welcomes Food Safety Input
Proposed
federal rules on food safety are a "one-size-fits-all" approach, which,
in some cases, are "excessive and
unnecessary" and could pose "undue hardships" on growers, while
not guaranteeing against bacterial outbreaks.
A panel of
industry representatives shared their opinions yesterday at a Stockton
City Hall informational hearing with State Senator Cathleen
Galgiani, D-Stockton, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.
Sen.
Galgiani was seeking input from industry members about proposed FSMA produce
safety rules, which are still being tweaked and will not take effect until at
least 2015.
Food safety
experts, the director of inspection services for the California Department of
Food and Agriculture, and representatives for growers whose crops range from
citrus fruits to almonds were among Monday's speakers.
Much of the
concern expressed at the meeting was over a proposed rule requiring growers to
conduct weekly bacteria testing of surface water.
"A
weekly water test is excessive and unnecessary," said Scott Horsfall, head of the California Leafy Green Marketing
Agreement. He said water tests are expensive and would not result in increased
food safety. “We require a monthly water test. The water used in California is
very, very clean. We're not going to move the needle (on food safety) by
requiring a weekly test."
"With
the diversity of California agriculture comes a complexity that, in my opinion,
people in the rest of the country cannot comprehend," said Jamie Johansson of the California Farm
Bureau Federation, the harshest critic of the proposed rules. He called them a
"broad overreach of executive power" and called for simplification of the rules and review by farmers.
Sources:
Western
United Dairymen,
Stockton Record
California
State Senator Christeen Galgiani’s website:
Labels: California Ag Industry Comments on FSMA, Jamie Johansson, proposed federal food safety rules, Scott Horsfall, State Senator Cathleen Galgiani