A recent Government Accountability Office report noted that FDA has begun to take action to address weaknesses in food safety research, but that research gaps still remain. Related to fruits and vegetables, the study states that scientific food safety research in fresh produce is an area the agency should continue to strengthen. To enhance FDA’s oversight of fresh produce safety, GAO recommended that FDA develop a plan to identify research priorities and facilitate research related to fresh produce, as well as identify approaches for obtaining testing and other information from industry members to inform its research agenda.

In the report, FDA agreed with GAO’s recommendations, but noted that data and information from industry would further inform, rather than supplement, the agency’s research agenda and would also be used in agency risk assessments associated with fresh produce.

As FDA continues to work on building a research agenda, the industry is charging ahead with its. The Center for Produce Safety has been driving new studies and dialogue on produce safety since its inception. Over the past two years, CPS has developed a model for prioritizing and funding produce safety research by collaborating with public agencies and private businesses committed to advancing produce safety. The center is working its next grant awards and is hosting its first-ever Produce Research Symposium on Wednesday, June 23. This unique research event will present results of 11 CPS-funded research projects, along with an interactive discussion of the research’s real-world opportunities by leaders in produce, academia and government, including FDA.

PMA is very active in working with FDA on produce safety issues. Most recently we hosted FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor and other high-level members of his team during a food safety discussion at our Board of Directors meeting in Tucson, Arizona, and facilitated a tour for them of key importers in Nogales. Last fall, PMA organized a tour of small family produce farms here in Delaware for FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and other agency officials; a similar FDA tour in California was coordinated by the Center for Produce Safety a few weeks later. Our Chief Science Officer Dr. Bob Whitaker has provided critical insight to the agency in numerous comments and conversations on proposed commodity-specific food safety regulations, traceability, third-party testing certification, risk management, and other areas.

Speaking of food safety regulations, last week FDA announced it is extending to July 23 the comment period for its open docket to obtain comments and information about current practices and conditions for the production and packing of fresh produce. This is another opportunity for the industry to inform FDA as it begins laying the groundwork for an eventual produce safety rule.

As FDA continues its work, PMA remains committed to assisting the agency with answers to their technical questions and real-world perspectives into the complexities of our industry’s supply chain.

Last week was strawberry week here in Delaware, and state-wide kids got a taste in schools. I didn’t know it was strawberry week until it was over, and I learned in my local paper (The News-Journal) that the Gov. Jack Markell designated the strawberry as Delaware’s official fruit.

So what, you ask? Well, PMA member Curt Fifer of Fifer Orchards conceived the idea for strawberry week, according to an article in this Sunday’s paper. The schools bought more than 7,800 pounds of berries from Delaware growers, including Fifer, to serve in all 19 school districts. (Yes, Delaware is small.)

It’s rare to see fresh strawberries served as a standalone item here. “’Fresh strawberries can be too pricey to buy for a large school district such as Christina — which serves about 11,000 meals daily — if the perishable fruit has to be shipped in from afar,’” said Andrea Solge, the district’s acting supervisor of child nutrition. ‘The district sometimes serves the berries sliced in yogurt or on salads, but rarely is it able to serve them whole because they are too expensive,’” she said.”

The kids loved them, according to the article: “At Christina School District’s West Park Place Elementary, students grabbed seconds and thirds of the fruit…. ’I like them because they are red, chewy, gushy and juicy,’ said 11-year-old Quadir Scott, as he worked through his second helping.”

I’m eating local strawberries twice a day right now – mine come from PMA member Filasky Farms, a couple of miles from my house. Like those from Fifer, they’re incredible. Supporting local production is so important. It’s also important to note that local alone can’t meet the needs of consumers. Strawberry season here in Delaware will be over in a week or two. But our desire for strawberries won’t fade. We’ll have to get them from somewhere else.

And we have to find ways that whole fresh fruit isn’t an occasional treat for school kids. Introducing them to fresh produce early helps build consumers for life. So here’s a shout out to Curt Fifer and everyone in Delaware that helped make this possible.

Last week, USDA’s Economic Research Service issued a report that examines definitions of local food, estimates market size and reach, describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers, and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of local food systems. The study found that produce farms engaged in local marketing made 56 percent of total agricultural direct sales to consumers, while accounting for 26 percent of all farms engaged in direct-to-consumer marketing. It also found that consumers who value high-quality foods produced with low environmental impact are willing to pay more for locally produced food.

(Staying on topic, tomorrow we’ll be sharing some news here on Field to Fork about a program in Delaware concerning locally grown strawberries in our school foodservice programs.)

In foodservice, interest in using locally grown foods has grown over the past two years. To bring our members the latest on this industry trend, PMA is offering a workshop that will feature four case studies created by researchers from the University of California at Davis that detail the success of locally grown supply chains. This session is scheduled for Saturday, July 31, during PMA’s Foodservice Conference & Exposition in Monterey, California. Following the case studies’ presentation will be a discussion of the impact of the “triple bottom-line” of economical, social, and environmental in these successful supply chains.

If you’re planning to attend this year’s Foodservice Conference & Exposition, the deadline to register early and save is June 18 for registrations received by fax and mail. If you’re registering online, the early registration deadline is July 2. For more details, visit the PMA Web site.

On June 23, the Center for Produce Safety (based at the University of California at Davis) will hold its first Produce Research Symposium. The Center, established in 2007 following the spinach/E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, serves as clearinghouse for all available research related to produce safety, as well as funds new scientific studies focused on developing new solutions that mitigate risks associated with the nation’s produce supply.

The symposium will bring together government, industry, and academia to share perspectives on the current status of produce safety research and establish a new dialogue on ensuring the quality and safety of fresh produce. Because of the innovative program, attendance is limited to just 400 participants. Some of the topics on the agenda include:

• Survivability of E. coli in field conditions
• Enhanced testing methods for pathogens in produce
• Potential vectors for pathogen transfer during field production

There are just a few days left to take advantage of early registration savings – be sure to sign up by May 28. To learn more, visit the CPS Web site. PMA is a proud supporter of the Center for Produce Safety and is the platinum sponsor of the inaugural Produce Research Symposium.

On May 20, I was among several members of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance who met with several key advisers and senior staff members of the First Lady’s ‘Let’s Move’ initiative at the White House. We sought the meeting to introduce the NFVA to the First Lady’s staff and to identify areas of potential collaboration. We had two key areas of focus for the meeting – encouraging the Let’s Move program to help achieve our collective goal of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and to encourage Let’s Move to publicly support the existing Fruits & Veggies – More Matters campaign.

At the meeting, members of the First Lady’s staff talked about how important increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is to the war on childhood obesity and that everyone involved in the NFVA has a serious responsibility to make greater strides to boost consumption. I was encouraged to see that the goals of ‘More Matters’ and ‘Let’s Move’ are in synch and may offer important areas of cooperation and synergy.

The NFVA is an extensive network of federal and state government agencies, nonprofits (e.g. American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association), and fruit and vegetable industry organizations, including PMA, that work together to increase U.S. access and demand for fruits and vegetables to improve public health. The Produce for Better Health Foundation, which PMA supports, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cochair the NFVA.

As Field to Fork readers know, PMA and its members are particularly active in increasing access to fresh produce – through charitable and noncharitable outreach. In the near future we’ll be asking you to let us know about initiatives you have undertaken to broaden consumer access to fresh produce. Greater consumption improves both the health of consumers and the health of our industry.

The recent publication of a new study in a medical journal that claims a possible link between ingestion of foodborne residues of a class of crop protection tools used on some fruits and vegetables – organophosphates (OP) – and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has generated media attention and member questions during the past few days.

PMA (along with allied organizations including the Alliance for Food and Farming, United Fresh, and Western Growers) has been monitoring media reports on this issue. We alerted our members about the report Tuesday evening after watching misinformation and misperceptions get perpetuated in the media and after hearing from key members from across the supply chain. In our message, we provided clarifying information and tools that sellers and buyers alike can use to communicate with their customers. Some of those key points are:

• More study is needed on this subject. We shouldn’t change our habits based on one study alone, and certainly not based on an observational study, which by design does not definitely prove cause and effect. Rigorously designed and more detailed research is needed to determine whether there is in fact a direct relationship between OP exposure and ADHD. In the interim, suggestions that consumers should avoid conventionally grown produce are unwarranted and unfounded, and misperceptions abound that organic and/or locally-grown produce is pesticide-free.
• Meanwhile, it is not in the best interest of public health to scare consumers away from eating fresh produce of any kind. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet, and we should be eating more of them, not less, for our better health.
• Should consumers express concern regarding this study and media reports about it, you may wish to inform them that the Food and Drug Administration advises that washing whole produce items – conventionally grown, locally grown and organic – before eating them is a healthful habit. Pesticide residues that might be present can often be reduced or eliminated by rinsing these foods with cold or lukewarm tap water.

To view our complete issue alert on this topic, visit the PMA Web site. Note: you will need to be logged in to PMA.com to view the alert.

According to the NPD Group, fresh fruit remained the top snack food consumed by kids aged 2 to 17 last year; however, following close behind fresh fruit was refrigerated yogurt – which this demographic ate more of as a snack-oriented food in 2009 than they did in 2008. Other snacks experiencing growth in 2009 were potato chips, string cheese and prepackaged cheese cubes or shapes, and hard candy.

PMA research last year found that 39% of parents said providing healthful food for their children was a primary reason why they buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Our study also found that consumers are purchasing more bananas, apples, grapes, oranges (due to year-round availability, convenience in carrying and eating, and relative inexpensiveness), along with strawberries, blueberry, lemons, cantaloupes, pineapples, pears, and tangerines. In addition, consumers told us they have purchased different varieties of apples, avocados, grapes, oranges, and pears during the past year.

As the parent of an 8-month old, I’m proud to say fruits and vegetables are part of my daughter’s daily diet. Granted, the produce she eats now comes in little glass or plastic containers, but every time we introduce a new fruit to her (most recently mango), she doesn’t turn it down. As she grows, we’re hopeful she continues to embrace new tastes in produce and other foods.

To learn more about the PMA consumer research study (Healthy Eating Trends 2009) that I referenced above, visit the PMA Web site.

Here on Field to Fork on Friday I highlighted the USDA aspects of the Washington, DC meetings PMA Chairman of the Board Bill Schuler, PMA’s Washington representative Tom O’Brien and I had recently. Today I’ll update you on our Congressional visits.

PMA Chairman Bill Schuler, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), PMA President Bryan Silbermann, and United Farm Workers of America President Arturo Rodriguez at a May 12 luncheon to show industry and labor support for AgJOBS.

During a luncheon held in her honor organized by Tom O’Brien and our association allies (ANLA, SAF, United Fresh, and Western Growers), Bill and I met with Senator Dianne Feinstein (Calif.). We thanked her for her continued leadership on the AgJOBS immigration reform proposal and discussed food safety and the Center for Produce Safety – for which the Senator had helped secure funding.

(Note: Following the PMA Board of Directors meeting in Tucson recently – held against the backdrop of the controversial Arizona immigration law – it is clear that the AgJOBS proposal is absolutely critical to the sustainability of the U.S. food supply.)

Bill and the Senator talked about immigration reform, and he noted the support and unity for AgJOBS represented by the farmworker (United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez sat directly across from us), association, and business communities among the luncheon guests.

After lunch, Bill, Tom and I met with Keith Jones, staff director of the House Agriculture Committee’s Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee. PMA has a longstanding relationship with Keith, and we were pleased to bring him up to speed on the latest food safety issues.

Staying with the House Ag Committee, we met Representative Jean Schmidt (2nd-OH) and her staff. Schmidt, who is the Ranking Minority Member on Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, was interested in learning more about industry steps to enhance food safety. After updating her on industry food safety practices, we shared the specific produce industry economic impact district data from PMA’s benchmark study. We also used the economic impact data when we met with Representative Geoff Davis (4th-KY), who serves the district in which Castellini Company is based. During that meeting, Bill underscored the importance of immigration reform and how Castellini’s 1,500 employees in the district would be adversely affected if reform measures are not enacted to provide a sustainable source of farm labor. This has been a consistent message from PMA’s buyer members: AgJOBS is more than just about farm workers, it’s about the entire supply chain.

Looking back after a very busy two days, the importance of bringing industry knowledge and real-world experience to our legislative and regulatory partners has never been more important. Many thanks to Bill for taking time out of a hectic schedule to share his insights on the Hill and at USDA.

PMA Chairman Bill Schuler, USDA Deputy Undersecretary Anne Wright, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, and PMA President Bryan Silbermann outside Merrigan’s office on May 11, 2010.

As a key part of PMA’s ongoing and growing engagement with our regulatory and legislative partners, PMA Chairman of the Board and President of the Castellini Company Bill Schuler, PMA’s Washington representative Tom O’Brien and I just met with several top-ranking USDA officials, including Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan; Deputy Under Secretary Anne Wright; Undersecretary of USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon; Deputy Administrator of Special Nutrition Programs for FNS Ron Vogel; Chief of Staff to the Secretary Karen Ross; and AMS Fruit and Vegetable Programs Deputy Administrator Bob Keeney.

Our two days in DC this week followed a series of extensive meetings with FDA officials, most recently with FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor and his team during our late April PMA Board of Directors meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

While Bill and I also met with Congressional leaders in D.C. (more on that in Monday’s post), our meetings with USDA focused on food safety developments and fruit and vegetable consumption trends. Deputy Secretary Merrigan was very interested in PMA’s consumer research; particularly how the information we have on the locally grown trend might tie into USDA efforts such as Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. As the agency seeks to connect consumers with producers, Bill and I stressed to her that all growers in the fresh produce industry have a story to tell, regardless of the size of the farm.

As CEO of one of the largest wholesale distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables in the U.S., Bill brought his unique perspectives to USDA by discussing how produce moves through the distribution chain and providing insights into fresh-cut as well as store merchandising practices.

Relative to food safety, Bill and I highlighted PMA’s involvement in food safety – notably the upcoming Center for Produce Safety research symposium in June (by the way, there’s still time to register). We encouraged USDA involvement in the symposium and by the time our meeting ended, we confirmed attendance for a senior USDA delegation at the Davis, California event.

As our meetings with USDA concluded, Bill and I reflected on how highly PMA is viewed as a credible source of real-world information to our partners in DC. We’ll continue to build those relationships and make those connections on behalf of our members.

There was an interesting story in the Earth Day edition of Advertising Age by Becky Willan on moving up to what she calls Sustainability 2.0. As Field to Fork readers know, PMA members can share their sustainability stories with each other through our Share your Sustainability Stories page (while you’re there, be sure to check out the redesigned PMA Web site – let us know what you think). In the article, Ms. Willan connects sustainability efforts with brand communications.

“For some time now, people have recognized that sustainability can be a brand-builder. But using sustainability to build your brand can only be a successful strategy if it starts from a consumer perspective,” she wrote. “Sustainability 2.0 is about organizations creating positive effects in the lives of people in three ways: as individuals, helping meet personal needs, goals and ambitions; within their communities, sparking cultural movements, supporting causes and making connections; and within the world at large, tackling environmental issues and enabling greener lifestyles.”

She believes brands can help people act on their desires – help them become better stewards and actually do what their minds and hearts want them to do. She says: “With a media landscape that has become increasingly fragmented, always on and on-demand, the consensus in the marketing industry is that today it’s all about content. It’s fair to say that brand marketers have a tougher job coming up with content that will engage and sustain the interest of their target audience. On the flip side, sustainability, if communicated with credibility and creativity, provides exactly the kind of substance that meets this marketing challenge.”

At PMA we focus on the ROI of sustainability, often equating that to financial savings or market expansion. Here’s another way to evaluate or create ROI for your sustainability efforts. Hook up the sustainability folks with the marketing and communications folks to be sure your story is heard. Send it our way and have your PR and marketing staff explore other ways to get the word out about the good things you are doing.