There have been 172 people in 32 states sickened by a strain of E. coli connected to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma. Leafy greens growers from California and Arizona are meeting in Yuma May 24 to update food safety protocols established by the Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in January.
Listening sessions will focus around something called the "water rule," according to the Western Growers Association. Channah Rock is a water quality specialist at the University of Arizona. She said right now they are doing a cost-benefit analysis of water testing.
"So how much water are we putting through these water treatment systems? And what is that ultimate benefit that that grower is going to see by treating these massive amounts of water that they are using for produce production in the state," Rock said.
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