We’re devoted to protecting consumers

As the CEO of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), an organization representing shippers of more than 98 percent of the leafy greens grown in California, I assure you no one wants a quick end to the current outbreak more than leafy greens farmers. Our thoughts go out to those who are ill and to consumers who have lost trust in romaine.

When an outbreak is associated with farming activities, the ability to quickly trace product to the field where it was grown is critically important to save lives. That’s why we’re working closely with government to find the farm that is the source of this outbreak. And leafy greens growers and shippers are providing additional assurances for consumers by clearly indicating where the romaine they purchase was produced. In this case, that will help consumers know that their romaine was grown in areas not involved in this outbreak.

The 100 members of the LGMA in California are companies that harvest and ship millions of servings of leafy greens every day to consumers around the world. By law, the shippers must be able to trace every serving back to the field where it grew and forward to the first buyer. Under the LGMA program, traceback is mandatory. Every member is audited an average of five times per year by government to verify they’re in compliance with all required food safety practices. We’re very confident that accurate traceback systems exist at the grower/shipper level. Most companies keep records electronically and perform mock recalls to ensure their systems work.

But leafy greens often get to consumers through multiple distributors. All of them — not just farmers — must keep accurate records along the way. Technological advances, such as blockchain, may improve this system. The leafy greens community is committed to protecting consumers. We believe anything that makes traceback faster is good for public health.