Salinas, CA: Today the California LGMA (Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement) announced it has initiated a 2-year food safety study called ‘Romaine Test & Learn.’ Approved unanimously by the LGMA Advisory Board, the study involves collecting and analyzing LGMA members’ pathogen test data for romaine lettuce including both pre-harvest and post-harvest testing.
“Romaine Test & Learn represents the most significant change the LGMA has made to benefit food safety since its inception,” says Jan Berk, LGMA Chair. “This program will allow our members’ individual testing data to collectively provide meaningful, aggregated data to better understand potential risks.”
Romaine Test & Learn was inspired by the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing program used to revolutionize commercial aviation through aggregation and sharing of safety data – to our knowledge this is the first of its kind in the fresh produce industry.
“The airline safety model shows us that sharing data can improve safety,” says Tim York LGMA CEO. “That is why we are embarking on this project – to make lettuce even safer for consumers to enjoy.”
Although testing is not mandatory for LGMA members, anyone who does testing will be required to meet a minimum protocols for collecting and testing samples. It is estimated that over 90% of LGMA members conduct romaine lettuce pathogen testing. This project will collect and analyze all their test data for the next two years.
California LGMA has partnered with Western Growers to use their GreenLink™ data sharing and data analytics platform.
About California LGMA: The California LGMA is a food safety program that brings farmers together to make lettuce and leafy greens safer. LGMA members produce over 70% of the Nation’s lettuce and leafy greens – adding up to over 30 billion servings a year. In an effort to provide consumers with safe leafy greens, the California LGMA verifies food safety practices, enforces through government audits, and requires a commitment to continuous improvement.
Learn more at www.lgma.ca.gov
