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A debate on USA Today’s editorial page on third-party audits and their role in the safety of fresh produce allowed the Produce Marketing Association to drive home a point: audits are only one tool of many in the process.
The Jan. 25 coverage led with USA Today’s viewpoint, that auditors, who depend on growers for their livelihood, have a conflict of interest in saying whether a packingshed or other facility is clean. The newspaper’s column, dubbed “Lessons from killer cantaloupe,” compares the situation to authors hiring book reviewers.
Whitaker On the same page, Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer for Newark, Del.-based PMA, responded that audits are just one example of food safety steps and “rather than debate the merits of a single approach, let’s broaden the dialogue and work in partnership with industry, consumers and the government” on effective food safety systems.
Bryan Silbermann, PMA president and chief executive officer, issued an e-mail statement to members and media. He encouraged people in the fresh produce industry to read the USA Today opinion page pieces and share their own views about food safety in America.
“Bob’s words reflect our industry’s shared commitment to the safety of the produce we grow, ship and sell,” Silbermann wrote in the e-mail.
“It also is just one example of the importance of PMA’s ongoing outreach to, and credibility with, the media,” he said in the e-mail.
He asked industry members to share opinions through social media and on PMA Xchange, or provide comments directly on USA Today’s online editorial page.
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