In the next few weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey fruit growers in 12 states, including California, for its biennial Fruit Chemical Use Survey. Growers across the nation will provide information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, fertilizer types, and application rates for more than 21 fruit crops. “Growers benefit from providing this …

Did you know that in 2018 there were about 6000 SQF audits globally? When I read that, I was struck by how many sites are audited to the standard. You may be aware that in 2018 the new edition 8 of SQF went into effect, which affected all of those sites worldwide.  Although the standard remained largely the same in …

While every food manufacturing site, big or small, needs to develop strong food safety systems, not every site is ready to meet the full requirements of a GFSI certification audit. Recognizing this, BRC has developed the START! Program in order to “recognize and encourage the development of food safety systems in small sites”. What is the START! Program? BRC START! Is third-party food …

The impact of an E. coli outbreak is far-reaching. It spreads through the entire supply chain, leaving consumers, farmers, and retailers in a bind. Losing 45% of your sales overnight is a massive loss to any industry. This is what happened in 2018 regarding the E. coli outbreaks in romaine. Struggling to boost consumer confidence to have another outbreak and lose another …

Let’s face it, all of our food comes from farms. When it comes to plant-based food there’s always a grower (or many growers!) involved. Here at Safe Food Alliance, we work to, help growers implement processes to ensure compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety rule (FSMA is the FDA’s “Food Safety Modernization Act”). Many of our customers are also processors …

When submitting a sample for testing which option should you choose: Listeria spp. Or Listeria monocytogenes? That is a good question. One is very broad (Listeria spp.) and will give you a lot of information about the bacteria in the genera and the other is specific (L. monocytogenes) one species in the genera. Think about the tests like this: one is …

The Almond Board of California (ABC) has been selected to receive the GMA Food Safety Award from the International Association for Food Protection, in recognition of the Board’s “preeminence in and contributions to the field of food safety.” The award comes after nearly 50 years of Almond Board-funded research and innovation leading to numerous improvements in the way almonds are …

We have goods news on the FSMA front. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated the regulatory process to put almonds on the “rarely consumed raw” list.  After years of discussions with the Almond Alliance and the Almond Board of California as to why almonds should be on the “rarely consumed raw”  list given the self-imposed pasteurization rule, FDA …