increases state support and authority. Realize commitment to all the pillars of the agency’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety. Invest in collaborative food safety programs that will improve a domestic grower’s ability to operationalize food safety prevention strategies. Improve the agency’s focus on applied research, outreach, and education. FDA Regulatory Activities The Western Growers Science team continues to engage with the FDA at the leadership level about on-farm surveillance sampling of leafy greens grown in the Salinas Valley region during FY 2022-23 and future assignments. We continue to work with the agency on realizing its commitment to deprioritize those operations that share data through GreenLink in future surveillance sampling assignments. The agency has confirmed in writing its commitment to actively engage with Western Growers on potential areas of shared value between regulatory stakeholder and those participating in data-sharing. One Health Opportunities The One Health approach for health risk management focuses on the intersection of humans, animals, and the environment. One Health considerations are integrated into managing transmissible diseases between animals and humans, including, for example, COVID-19. Applying a One Health approach can advance the safety of fresh produce by addressing environmental sources/reservoirs of microbial pathogens. WG is taking a leadership role in programmatic efforts aimed at advancing One Health principles as applied to produce safety, including a work group under the HHS Healthy People 2030 and CDFA’s initiative California Agricultural Neighbors. Both efforts are focused on highlighting the importance of the land uses next to or nearby produce operations and best principles for managing the food safety implications.
“The WG science, technology and food safety team are continuously meeting the expectations of their members in developing resources, guidance, and solutions in an ever changing and increasingly complex regulatory environment. They are a cohesive team and are a joy to work with.”
Jake Odello Dir. of Food and Industrial Safety The Nunes Company
WITH SCIENCE.
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online