IRVINE, CA - Western Growers is continuing to advocate for the fresh produce industry on the food safety front. Following the release of the Reagan-Udall Foundation report on proposed reforms to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Human Foods Program, the association’s Senior Vice President of Science De Ann Davis issued a statement to the industry.

“We are very pleased and thankful for the expert panel’s dedication to this report. We think it reflects many of the conversations that we’ve had and recommendations that we made, including the need for a single point of leadership for the agency when it comes to human foods program,” Davis said in the statement.

Davis continued, noting the intense need for prevention-based programs that increase food safety.

“We are also appreciative of the panel’s acknowledgment of the need for a prevention focus by the agency when it comes to the safety of the nation’s food. This was the original intention of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and we are very grateful for the call to see it re-established,” she said. “With more than 20,000 farms in California alone that provide produce to the nation, we acknowledge that the best way to continue to achieve food safety is through prevention-based programs rather than compliance.”

“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the FDA on the implementation of these recommendations, as well as working with our Congressional counterparts to find the best strategies to ensure resources for these recommendations,” Davis concluded.

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Western Growers