While getting caught up on industry trade press the other day, I came across an article in the July issue of Progressive Grocer that addressed sustainability in the supermarket meat case. In it, representatives from the beef industry shared perspectives on how technology-driven sustainability can serve as both a business strategy and as a means to leverage positive consumer perceptions.

They recognized how sustainability components (e.g. increased efficiencies, reduced carbon footprints) can often clash with public perceptions of how food is to be sustainably grown, processed, and sold. The article noted that: “There’s a serious gap between the proven strategies the industry deploys to support sustainability and the warm and fuzzy feelings consumers connect with the concept.” To communicate sustainability effectively to consumers, the representatives recommended retailers:

• Build the business case for sustainability by using initiatives that support their brands.
• “Own” their commitment to sustainability by investing in marketing of sustainable products.
• Use labeling smartly, but don’t rely on buzzwords. Instead, use metrics that speak to both stakeholders and end users.
• Become better educated on sustainability practices and become better communicators of the sustainability message and story.

Even though the story focused on beef, I think the ideas presented therein offer insights to the fresh produce industry. While many companies have invested time and energy in implementing sustainable practices (see our sustainability stories page for examples), and while efforts like the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops are developing and piloting sustainability metrics, the key in capturing consumers’ attention is effectively communicating the sustainability story.

As one beef industry representative said in the article: “Whether it’s done for business, financial, or other reasons, I think there’s a great story to be told.”

For our industry, I couldn’t agree more.

Some 61% of consumers are concerned about contamination of the food supply, with 51% most worried about meat, according to a national survey conducted for National Public Radio by Thomson Reuters. Considering other foods, 25% of people are worried most about seafood, 23% are concerned most about produce, and 4% worry about dairy contamination, reported NPR.

The survey also found that respondents believe food companies should improve their quality control systems, rather than calling for more inspections, oversight, or stiffer penalties.

PMA has a number of food safety resources available to our members and industry on our Web site. In addition to topic overviews, we also have articles authored by our Chief Science & Technology Officer Dr. Bob Whitaker, along with links to PMA food safety events and blogs, federal food safety guidance documents and programs, and more. Plus, as noted here on the blog yesterday, food safety is a key focus of the upcoming Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in October. Visit the PMA Web site for more details.

With PMA’s 2010 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition coming up in a couple months in Orlando, Florida, here on Field to Fork we’ll be taking a periodic look in the coming weeks at some of the topics that’ll be addressed during the event.

First up is food safety. This year’s Fresh Summit will feature the latest on food safety provided in a variety of settings, to help answer questions and deliver business solutions. A Food Safety Solutions Center will be prominently located on the show floor in booth 201 at the Orange County Convention Center. Designed as a one-stop interactive destination, the center will provide educational exhibits, live demonstrations and videos related to food safety technology in the areas of packaging, traceability, processing equipment, product testing, water purification, and more.

On the educational agenda, food safety is woven throughout the workshops. Industry and PMA experts will be on hand to lead in facilitated Q&A sessions to explore business solutions in sessions on the topics of product testing; successfully navigating food safety audits; your role in traceability; and how the CPS is working for you.

For a complete listing of the event’s education program, visit the Fresh Summit Web site and look at the schedule. If you’re planning to come to Orlando in October, remember that the deadline to register online and save is September 17. The last day to register in advance is October 1.

With a renewed focus on offering more healthful alternatives at the restaurant level, a new study has found menu items labeled as “healthy” grew 65 percent between second quarter 2009 and second quarter 2010. Mintel’s Menu Insights found menu items that contain fruits or vegetables increased 10 percent between second quarter 2007 and second quarter 2010. The study also found there has been a 12 percent increase in menu items labeled as vegetarian between second quarter 2007 and second quarter 2010.

While that 10 percent increase on items that have fresh produce is a good start, there’s still quite a ways to go. Mintel research found that among restaurant-goers who say they’re eating more healthfully when dining out, more than half are doing so by including more fruits and vegetables.

We’ll be taking a look at increasing produce use and consumption through foodservice this weekend during a general session at the PMA’s Foodservice Conference & Exposition in Monterey, California. Attendees will receive a progress report on the Foodservice 2020 project and understand how restaurants can be part of the solution to the obesity epidemic. Advance registration for the conference is closed, but on-site registration will be open starting Friday afternoon. For more details, visit the PMA Web site.

This week on his audio blog, PMA Chief Science and Technology Officer Dr. Bob Whitaker wrapped up a series of posts on food safety audits, with the closing focus on how to handle the data obtained during the audit process. It’s been an informative series that’s focused on the following issues connected to audits:

• understanding the four critical characteristics of food safety auditors;
• understanding the auditor’s approach;
• understanding the auditor’s qualifications;
• understanding the importance of corrective actions segment of the audit; and
• understanding the importance of handling and managing audit data.

If you missed any of this series of eight posts, visit the Ask Dr. Bob blog directly to catch up on the topic. While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up to get future updates via e-mail.

Have you ever noticed that when you start looking for help, sometimes each “helper” often knows a few more who know a few more? Soon the network of helpers has expanded like a spider web. That was one of the great outcomes of a recent visit to Washington, DC. I went with other folks representing the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops to reach out to the House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and USDA. Our purpose was to update legislative and regulatory staff on the Stewardship Index’s progress on developing and piloting sustainability metrics (not standards) and explore resources and ways to work together.

We accomplished those goals, and I won’t go into detail about that now. What caught my attention was the eager willingness for each of them to engage and help. Some staffers gave us names of experts that could help with the metrics and pilots – to the extent of one staffer pulling out his Blackberry to give us e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Other staffers explained their efforts on sustainability, offered to share information and urged us to draw on existing/developing programs.

Sometimes you hear about roadblocks or bottlenecks in Washington, DC. However, the SISC group found public servants who were open to the effort and eager to help.

Perhaps prompted by my call for industry sustainability stories last week on Field to Fork, I was contacted by Nelson Longenecker, vice president of business innovation for Four Seasons Produce, who gave me some more insights about Four Seasons’ energy efficiency initiatives.

The company started new initiatives to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in 2006 and realized significant savings including: annual energy cost savings of more than $150,000 (a 22 percent reduction from 2005 to 2009); avoidance of 2,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually; 1.4 million gallons in annual water use savings (a 21 percent reduction from 2007 to 2009); and elimination of more than 740,000 truck fleet miles in 2008 through routing and delivery improvements (a 13 percent reduction).

Nelson also shared with me an article on Four Seasons (featured in the summer 2010 issue of High Performance Buildings) that provided more details about their sustainability programs.

For more sustainability stories, visit the PMA Web site. Do you have a sustainability story or video you’d like to share with us and other PMA members? If so, please let us know.

Earlier this year, an industry survey found that 70 percent of the fresh produce industry is working toward implementing the Produce Traceability Initiative, with 58 percent on target to meet the milestones. To help the industry learn more about the initiative, PMA is holding its first Traceability Symposium on August 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the J.W. Marriott Grand Rapids.

The day-long symposium features traceability experts who will introduce attendees to the new vision for PTI, explain the steps needed to turn this vision into reality and dispel misconceptions about it. The symposium is presented in partnership with Superior Sales, Inc., along with presenting sponsor N2N Global and participating sponsors Avery Dennison, FasCor Inc., HarvestMark, iGPS, Lowry Computers and Virtual One Software.

Featured speakers include PMA’s traceability expert, Vice President of Supply Chain Efficiencies Ed Treacy. He will be joined by representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, GS1 US and US Foodservice. Attendees will also hear perspectives on traceability and PTI from a retail panelist.

To register for this event, visit the PMA Web site. Advanced registration runs through July 30; on-site registration is also available, space permitting.

Yesterday, the Alliance for Food and Farming launched a new Web site to counter inaccurate claims by activist groups concerning alleged unsafe levels of pesticides on produce. The site is a key component of a three-year campaign that will generate more balanced media reporting and change public perception about the safety of produce related to pesticide residues. The campaign uses sound science, provided by a team of nationally renowned nutrition and toxicological experts, to set the record straight about the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

For example, the site notes that a list such as “The Dirty Dozen” misleads consumers in that it’s based only upon exposure data while remaining silent about available information on the toxicity of pesticides present in the diet. As a result, the list does not provide a basis to assess risk.

The site also includes detailed information on the scientific experts who contributed to the review of “The Dirty Dozen,” as well as information on the healthful and nutritional benefits of eating fresh produce.

PMA is a proud supporter of this campaign. We firmly believe that it is necessary to counter the claims that have beleaguered our industry for years now, and that threaten to undermine consumer confidence in fresh produce. If you, your supply chain partners, or your customers need answers to questions about pesticide residues on produce, we invite you to visit www.safefruitsandveggies.com.

PMA is a strong supporter of the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE), which brings you the Fight BAC! and Be Food Safety programs to help consumers understand how to handle food safely. All of the resources are free for you to use.

The new Fight BAC! Web site launched last week by the PFSE responds to long-time users of the campaign who suggested new features that would better support community education activities. These will also help you better communicate with your customers, employees, neighbors and friends. The site has significantly improved download and news features in response to these BAC Fighters.

One of the objectives in building the site was to cultivate community among food safety advocates who may work in public health, food service, nutrition, education or other fields. A new section of the site highlights the work of BAC Fighters throughout the country. So if you know folks like that, or if you have direct consumer outreach, employ these ready-to-use resources. A new Fight BAC! store is up and running as well, in time for National Food Safety Education Month in September. The online store features low-cost educational materials for consumers. If you are participating in state, county, or local fairs or have your own consumer-oriented events, you’ll find inexpensive give-aways that show consumers you care about their health.

Food safety is essential at every link in the food chain, from field to fork. We can’t leave consumers out of that chain. You make sure your company and employees are aware of and practicing safe food handling habits. Help ensure consumers do so as well. Educate your employees with these tools, use them in your consumer outreach, and distribute them in your communities. They’re science-based, consumer-tested, and best of all: FREE!