United Fresh pledges $500,000 to Center for Produce Safety

CHICAGO — The United Fresh Produce Association has made a commitment to give the Center for Produce Safety $500,000 over the next year.

Susan Reimer-Sifford, incoming United Fresh chairwoman and vice president and general manager for CC Kitchen at Castellini Group of Cos., presented a check for $500,000 to Center for Produce Safety June 15. Tim York, president of Markon Cooperative Inc., and chairman of the CPS board and Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, executive director of the center, thanked the association for the funds.

Reimer-Sifford said implementing food safety regulations is challenging. 

“We wanted to do our part to help CPS in this great fight,” she said.

York thanked United Fresh for its generous commitment and leadership in food safety.

“Susan you have been in charge for 11 minutes and spent half a million bucks already,” York joked.

“You can tell Tony there is a new sheriff in town,” he said, referring to outgoing United Fresh chairman Tony Freytag.

York said the Center for Produce Safety has raised more than $11 million in its campaign started last year to continue to fund food safety research.

In the past 10 years, CPS has funded 120 research projects in five different countries with $20 million in research support.