California Avocado Commission Hosts an FSMA Implementation Seminar as Avocado Harvest Kicks In
IRVINE, CA - With the California avocado harvesting season underway, and the California Avocado Commission (CAC) turned its focus to food safety, hosting seminars to clarify the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its enchantments to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) during the first three days of March.
“There will be a few changes to CAC’s GAP manual to align with FSMA, principally around water testing, and our objective is to help the growers prepare for compliance,” said CAC Vice President of Industry Affairs, Ken Melban, in the press release, clarifying that compliance with FSMA regulations is mostly about documenting practices already in place for California avocado growers.
300 growers attended the seminars, during which CAC provided GAP manuals and a guide for the new food safety regulations, as well as explaining implications for the industry’s harvesting and growing practices.
Although the El Nino predictions have yet to fully materialize as expected, most growers reported an increase in their 2016 harvesting volumes. Attributed to additional rainfall, California avocado trees are expected to yield approximately 30 to 40 percent more crops than in 2015.
This is good news for avocado growers and retailers. As reported by Vice President of Marketing for CAC, Jan DeLyser, March is an important time for foodservice promotions in the avocado category.
“There are many promotional opportunities this month and retailers are hungry for reliable quality to showcase,” DeLyser said. “With St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, and Easter, we’re looking at a total avocado category forecast for an 18-day period in March that may even exceed a comparable Cinco de Mayo period this year.”
CAC added that it serves as the official information source for California avocados and the California avocado industry, with many retailers in its advertised markets already having transitioned, or being in the process of transitioning, to the California crop.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on key avocado news for promotional opportunities for the approaching holidays and beyond.
