Since the country of origin labeling (COOL) final rule went into effect March 16, we’ve known USDA in-store compliance checks would begin, and now we know when. We recently learned that they may begin as soon as June, with supplier traceback audits at some point thereafter. Agency officials have told us that they expect to perform 5,000 retail reviews this year, via cooperative agreements with all 50 states. USDA will also conduct supplier traceback audits on about 2 percent of those reviews. To see what COOL reviewers are being trained to look for, visit the AMS Web site.

It’s important that everyone meet the COOL requirements, so please pass this information along to anyone you think will need it. Remember, there are monetary penalties for both suppliers and retailers found to be in violation of the COOL rule. And if you are subject to a compliance check, please let us know how it goes.

Though food safety is top of mind for consumers, a recent survey indicates fewer of them were taking food safety precautions in 2008 than in previous years. Such precautions include washing hands, washing cutting boards or using separate cutting boards, using food thermometers, properly storing food, separating foods that should be separated, etc. The survey was conducted by the International Food Information Council, which recommended getting back to basics with simple, actionable messages about safe food handling. We have them – the clean, separate, cook, and chill messages from the Partnership for Food Safety Education. And you can help spread the word. Use the produce-specific messages from the Fight BAC! campaign, or jump into the Be Food Safe campaign with its produce-specific icons. You can even sign up to be a BAC Fighter to get regular updates you can share with your customers.

We support the partnership because having consistent, science-based, consumer-tested messaging is the best way to help educate the public and change consumer behavior. Consumers are a critical link in the food safety chain, and it’s disappointing that consumers are slacking in this important area. Help us move the needle the other way.

Forward this to colleagues who work with consumers so that they can also help spread these simple, actionable food safety messages for consumers.

Despite the economy, consumers have not forgotten about sustainability, according to a new PMA consumer survey – and that presents opportunities for savvy produce marketers.

Seventy-four percent of consumers polled recently by the Hartman Group for PMA said it is very important to them that fruit and vegetable providers support or pursue food safety (e.g., testing and public education) and pesticide reduction (59%) as part of their sustainability programs. Four in 10 noted that community support and fair trade are very important corporate policies, too. Overall, three-quarters said they consider sustainability issues at least sometimes when making a (general) purchase decision. Even in today’s economic downturn, a core set of produce buyers (23%) still consider sustainability issues when they decide what to purchase.

Produce marketers who have already incorporated sustainable practices into their business models – and share that story with their customers – are likely best positioned to keep current customers and gain new ones. As the produce industry moves further along the sustainability path, we are committed to providing our members with new research and resources, as well as helping members share your sustainability success stories.

Consumer trend information and analysis is part of PMA’s efforts to bring you business solutions that help your company thrive. The sustainability findings highlighted here are just one piece of extensive information from the recently released PMA Hartman study. Consider how you might use this information to grow your business.

The produce industry has a fantastic opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, thanks to $49 million in grant funds coming from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

The monies, authorized by last year’s farm bill, will be granted to U.S. state departments of agriculture, the District of Columbia and select U.S. territories. So if you have great ideas about how this money could be spent, connect with your ag department to discuss it. Examples of appropriate projects include building produce consumption, improving supply chain efficiencies, food safety (developing good agricultural/handling/manufacturing practices), sustainability and more.

Grant applications are due by August 26; funds will be obligated by September 30. It’s important that these state agencies hear the real-world needs of our industry right away, so that ideas can be turned into grant requests that move our industry forward.

As part of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Implementation Committee, PMA is working to protect the historic gains our industry received in the 2008 farm bill. For more details on the grant program, visit the AMS Web site.

Yes, the government is big into social media, and the agencies’ experience can help all of us. I participated in a Partnership for Food Safety Education meeting May 14, where three agencies – U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – shared how they use social media for industry and consumer food safety communications.

CDC, whose goal is to make content tools and services available whenever, wherever, and however users want it, uses a full arsenal of interactive tools to engage their target audience. Once a message is approved, the agency adapts it for use in the various media (e.g., the 140 characters allowed by microblog Twitter). CDC uses everything: e-games, user-generated content, social networks, blogs, widgets, mobile, Wikis, YouTube, Twitter and more – even e-cards. CDC also offers a sleeker mobile site for those on the go. And they syndicate their content for free in various ways so others can help get the agency’s content out.

In the future, PMA will be using the agencies’ existing widgets – which mirror agency content on PMA’s Web site – so you don’t have to go to another site.

Other speakers suggested getting started with outlets, such as Twitter, that have low investment thresholds and using social media as message multipliers. It’s important to tailor the messages to the various media and be sure to consider the time and effort it takes to maintain social media efforts.

To see what the government is into, check out the social media sites for FDA and CDC.

The PMA-supported partnership, which sponsors the Fight BAC! and Be Food Safe consumer food safety programs, does similar things on a smaller scale. Once the partnership sends an e-card to consumer influencers, it also sends out a tweet, puts it on its Web site and evaluates whether it’s worthy of a news release.

You’re obviously into new media because you are reading this blog. Help it along by forwarding this to people you think would be interested. And check out some of the other new media opportunities offered by these agencies, either to sign up and use them or to steal some ideas for your own business applications.

Do you market produce into Canada? You should know there are some new labeling rules there. Canadian Produce Marketing Association will host an informative Webinar May 26 on labeling requirements for all produce sold in Canada. When I was at the CPMA convention a couple of weeks ago, the workshop on this topic was packed – both with details on the new rules and with people eager to understand them.

You can get the same information from your office. Learn Canadian requirements (including the new “Product of Canada” rule), how to label bulk vs. packaged products, labeling resources are available from CPMA, and more. Pre-registration is required, but because of our relationship with CPMA, PMA members can get the CPMA member discount. Please forward this to anyone you know who does business in Canada.

You can bring much-needed real-world experience to USDA’s programs that affect fruits and vegetables through the USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has re-established the committee, which examines the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and provides suggestions and ideas to the secretary on how USDA can tailor its programs to better meet industry’s needs. We’re pleased to see this great program re-established because it is a key link between the agency and the industry it serves.

Committee members are appointed by the secretary, and serve two-year terms. The committee’s 25 members hail from across the supply chain, to include growers/shippers, wholesalers, brokers, retailers, processors, fresh-cut processors, foodservice suppliers, state departments of agriculture, trade associations, and state agencies involved in organic and non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables at local, regional and national levels. The group usually meets twice a year in Washington, D.C.

For more information, see USDA’s announcement about the re-establishment. Please let Kathy Means know if you are interested in being nominated to serve on the committee, and we’ll help you with the application process.

Many PMA members have written Congress to support the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS) Act of 2009 reintroduced May 14. This critically important immigration reform bill seeks to restructure and reform the current H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. For an overview of the bill, visit the PMA Web site.

AgJOBS currently has 26 co-sponsors in the House and 16 in the Senate, which is a good start. But we know we’ll face challenges, so we’ll need every sponsor and every vote we can get – and you can help.

We have heard that organized anti-immigrant networks are already starting to target the reform measure. These groups are large in number and very vocal. To counteract their efforts, we need all U.S. PMA members to write Congress on AgJOBS.

It’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

At last week’s House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture public hearing to review food safety standards for horticulture and organic agriculture, several PMA members testified about industry’s commitment to food safety and the practical realities they face in their businesses every day.

The hearing opened with testimony from U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials. That was followed by commentary from seven industry representatives. PMA’s Dr. Bob Whitaker had suggested to subcommittee staff that they include expertise from an auditing company. I was pleased to accompany Primus Laboratories’ Dr. Robert Stovicek, whose statement addressed third-party audits and certification.

FDA’s Dr. David Acheson cited the President’s FY 2010 budget that will allow FDA to increase its field staff by 404 full-time jobs – about a 20% increase. When asked by Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Acheson replied that the positions would be devoted to food, not drugs. This is encouraging news, as we’ve often heard from FDA that the agency does not have the manpower to adequately monitor food safety, and we have long advocated for a stronger, better funded and better staffed FDA.

Thanks to Dr. Stovicek and our other members on the panel for taking time out of their busy schedules to come to Washington, DC, to bring industry practicalities to the subcommittee’s hearing. As government officials work to enhance food safety for fresh produce, it is critical that this kind of real-world insight is presented to inform their decisions.

After an initial uproar heard ‘round the world, calmer heads are now prevailing regarding the H1N1 influenza virus as a public health issue and not a food issue. While cases are still being reported, the U.S. enters the summer months health officials believe that the number of cases will decline in the Northern Hemisphere. However, as the Southern Hemisphere begins its winter season, there is a possibility more flu cases may appear there.

To help our members around the world stay current about this flu outbreak, PMA has added a H1N1 flu resource page to its Web site. The page contains links to various U.S. and global health agencies, and will be updated with new links should more information become available. At a pandemic planning meeting I attended last week, health officials recommended that pandemic plans be updated in the event the H1N1 flu reemerges in the coming Northern Hemisphere fall and winter seasons. If you’re a PMA member and would like to receive our email issue alerts, please contact the PMA Solution Center to subscribe.