All leafy greens grown by members of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement in California and Arizona are now subject to stringent new water restrictions.
The restrictions were approved last year by the LGMA to improve the safety of water used in farming leafy greens and prevent illness.
“These updates are now in place throughout the California industry and represent a further strengthening of what were already the most stringent measures required of any produce commodity,” said LGMA CEO Scott Horsfall.
“The requirements also go well beyond what’s currently in place under federal Produce Safety Rule regulations,” Horsfall said.
Under the new rules, water taken from open reservoirs or canals must be sanitized and tested before being used to irrigate crops. The sanitizer has also been approved for organic greens.
LGMA members in California and Arizona represent about 90% of the leafy greens consumed in the U.S.
“While the LGMA does not extend to food safety practices inside processing facilities where leafy greens are packaged, the program does cover how greens are farmed and harvested,” he said.
Under the agreement, growers are subject to government food safety audits verifying that a set of science-based food safety practices are being followed on the farm.
On average, LGMA members are audited by California Department of Food and Agriculture officials about five times a year. Certified members must pass more than 300 food safety checkpoints during each audit. Some 92 of these checkpoints now pertain to water.
While water is a crucial part of food safety on lettuce farms, Horsfall said the LGMA continues to improve metrics in all areas of food safety, including soil amendments and adjacent lands.
For more information on the new water standards and a video explaining the changes, visit lgma.ca.gov.
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