WG/FDA MOU on Data Sharing On July 28, 2025, Western Growers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the signing of a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening produce safety and improving public health outcomes. The MOU establishes a formal framework for ongoing data sharing between Western Growers and the FDA – a milestone that elevates industry-government collaboration to a new level. Western Growers Science is leading a pilot project under this agreement with WG member companies. GreenLink ® : Western Growers Food Safety Data Sharing Platform GreenLink ® experienced remarkable growth, now encompassing over 440,000 tissue samples - more than 30 percent growth from 2024 - and welcoming new participants and historical information. In addition, the CA LGMA Test & Learn program was expanded for two additional years, now running through October 2027. Sustainable Packaging In partnership with key industry organizations, the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment for North America (SPPA) provides collaborative workshops, educational resources, technical tools and outreach to address the evolving landscape of fresh produce packaging throughout North America. A new website was launched to serve as a hub for resources, including the SPPA Roadmap. SPPA is a USDA- funded initiative. Biologicals To address current and anticipated pest control needs, Western Growers is supporting innovation, registration and validation of biological products. International guidance and resources on research and validation was developed in partnership with key industry organizations.
National Food Safety Guidelines for Cantaloupe and Netted Melons
After several months of collaborative work in 2024/2025, Western Growers completed the update of the National Best Practices for Cantaloupe and Netted Melons, focusing on growing, harvesting and packing operations. Western Growers is working on the training curriculum and materials that will support outreach early in 2026. This work has been possible with the support of multiple entities and stakeholders across the produce industry. FDA’s Human Foods Program At the request of then-FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, the Reagan- Udall Foundation facilitated an evaluation of the agency’s Human Foods Program, including an end-to-end review of its organizational structure, resources and culture. WG provided both verbal and written comments on September 30 during the foundation’s public meeting and comment period. The recommendations we shared include: enacting a strong, sustained prevention agenda for farms that increases state support and authority; realizing commitment to all the pillars of the agency’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety; investing in collaborative food safety programs that will improve a domestic grower’s ability to operationalize food safety prevention strategies; and improving the agency’s focus on applied research, outreach and education. WG Science Marketing and Communications Since the creation of an Association-focused marketing and communications department in 2024, Western Growers Science’s visibility has increased. In 2025, the WG Science Newsletter and WG Science LinkedIn page continued to increase subscribers. A unified Marketing and Communication strategy is dramatically increasing the Science team’s potential audience reach, which now extends to as many as 200 million people.
Science Leveraging the Power of Science and Data to Move the Fresh Produce Industry Forward.
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