California Ag Network

Tag: Food Safety

  • Meat Institute Weighs in on “Authorization” for Farmer and Rancher Meat Processing

    The Meat Institute issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement that he is authorizing farmers and ranchers to process their own meat:

    “America’s farmers and ranchers already have multiple pathways to process and market the livestock they raise that can be leveraged to achieve the goals stated by the President today. Allowing uninspected meat to be sold to unwitting consumers is the wrong approach, and risks undermining this country’s reputation for producing the safest meat products in the world.

    Today, producers may choose to process animals under a custom exemption, establish their own state or federally inspected facility to sell meat commercially, or work with one of the thousands of small and very small federally and state-inspected establishments. The Food Safety and Inspection Service provides extensive support to small and very small establishments through plain-language guidance, technical assistance, educational resources, and dedicated outreach programs designed to help plants meet regulatory requirements and produce safe food.

    “We are waiting to see more details from the Administration; however, it is critical that expanding processing opportunities does not come at the expense of food safety. Federal and state inspection requirements exist for a reason: to help ensure that meat sold to American families is safe, wholesome and properly labeled. Allowing uninspected or inadequately inspected meat into the marketplace would put consumers at risk and undermine the food safety system that protects millions of Americans every day.

    “If the goal is to lower beef prices for American families, lowering food safety standards is the wrong response: America needs more cattle. Expanding the nation’s herd and increasing the beef supply will lower beef prices, preserve consumers’ and trading partners’ trust in the safety of the meat supply, and strengthen the entire beef supply chain, from producers to consumers.  Jeopardizing food safety jeopardizes public health and the entire meat industry.

    To consumers: “The meat supply is safe thanks to the companies that prioritize food safety every single day, overlaid by USDA’s inspection system. The Meat Institute will not waver in its efforts to continuously improve food safety and quality for Americans.”

  • Meat Institute: FDA Proposed GRAS Reforms Good First Step

    The Meat Institute said the proposed changes to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) generally recognized as safe (GRAS) regulations are a good first step but it will continue to work with the Administration to ensure reforms protect food safety, foster innovation and maintain an affordable food supply.
    “The Meat Institute supports updating the GRAS framework in a way that strengthens consumer confidence while preserving a science-based, risk-based regulatory system,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “We will work closely with FDA and FSIS to ensure reforms continue to protect food safety, support innovation, and preserve affordable meat and poultry options for consumers.”
    “Consumers deserve confidence that the ingredients in their food have been rigorously evaluated for safety — and an updated GRAS process can deliver that transparency without disrupting an abundant, affordable food supply.
    “GRAS reform should improve transparency, establish a consistent national standard, while recognizing the unique regulatory framework that governs meat and poultry, where FSIS relies on FDA’s safety evaluations to approve substances as safe and suitable,” said Potts. “Close coordination between the two agencies is essential to consistent implementation.”
    The Meat Institute will provide comments during the comment period including the following priorities for regulators to consider:
    Practical timelines. New requirements should include adequate implementation time for manufacturers to comply.
    Preserving longstanding safe uses. Reform should not disturb ingredients with an established safety record.
    FDA-FSIS coordination. Close collaboration between the two agencies is critical to consistent implementation across the food supply.
    The Meat Institute warns that without thoughtful implementation, reform could delay new technologies and ingredients that improve food safety, extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and help manufacturers meet evolving consumer expectations.
    “The Meat Institute encourages HHS and FDA to pursue GRAS reform through a transparent, science-based, and collaborative approach that provides regulatory certainty for industry while protecting consumers,” said Potts.
    — Story contributed by the Meat Institute

  • Meat Institute Supports Federal Packaging Transparency Legislation

    The Meat Institute announced support for the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) and the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act, bipartisan legislation that establishes clear, consistent national standards for recycled content and environmental marketing claims. The bills were debated today during a hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

    “The meat and poultry industry depends on packaging that protects food safety, maintains product quality, and reduces food waste,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “The RMAA and PACK Act would provide consumers with clearer information while establishing a single, reliable national framework that supports innovation and compliance across the food supply chain.”

    Meat and poultry companies face a growing patchwork of state packaging and labeling laws that use different definitions for terms such as “recyclable,” “compostable,” “reusable” and “recycled content.” These varying requirements create compliance challenges for businesses operating across state lines and can make environmental claims more difficult for consumers to understand.

    Packaging plays a critical role in the meat and poultry industry by helping prevent contamination, extending shelf life, and protecting products throughout refrigerated and frozen distribution. Even modest packaging modifications often require extensive testing and operational adjustments to maintain food safety and performance standards. Meat Institute members have invested significantly in reducing packaging materials and preventing food waste while meeting consumer expectations for safe, high-quality products.

    The Meat Institute believes a uniform federal framework would provide greater certainty for continued packaging innovation, support sustainability goals, and ensure consumers receive consistent information regardless of where products are sold. By replacing conflicting state requirements with a national standard, the RMAA and PACK Act would help strengthen consumer confidence and improve the effectiveness of environmental marketing claims.

    “We appreciate Chairman Gus Bilirakis, Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky, and members of the Subcommittee for their leadership on these important issues,” Potts said. “The Meat Institute looks forward to working with Congress to advance practical solutions that benefit consumers, manufacturers, and the environment.”

    — Story contributed by the Meat Institute

  • LGMA Webinar Highlights Science-Based Strategies for Preventing Cyclospora

    Hundreds of produce industry professionals from across the supply chain participated today in a public webinar hosted by the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) to learn what is currently known—and what remains unknown—about Cyclospora and the steps growers, shippers and buyers can take to reduce risk.

    During the webinar, food safety expert Dr. Jennifer McEntire, founder of Food Safety Strategies and former Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer for the International Fresh Produce Association, emphasized three key messages:

    • Testing is not the answer. Current methods for detecting Cyclospora in fresh produce or water are technically challenging, have significant limitations and should not be relied upon as a preventive food safety strategy.
    • Focus on proven preventative practices. Buyers should verify that suppliers are fully complying with the mandatory food safety requirements of the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, the FDA Produce Safety Rule, or equivalent science-based food safety standards in their country of origin.
    • More research is needed. While significant progress has been made in understanding Cyclospora, important questions remain regarding how the parasite enters the production environment and the most effective methods for preventing contamination.

    “So much confusion and misinformation has been circulating about the current Cyclospora outbreak,” said California LGMA President and CEO Tim York, President. “Our goal was to bring together the best available science and provide the produce industry with practical, evidence-based information they can use today. Dr. McEntire is one of the nation’s leading experts on produce safety, and we wanted to make her expertise as widely available as possible.”

    York noted that a recording of the webinar is available on the California and Arizona LGMA website for anyone unable to attend the live presentation.  — Story contributed by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement

  • NMPF Releases Statement on New World Screwworm

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) released a statement following the detection of New World screwworm in Texas last week. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud weighed in on the news stating:

    “The return of Wew World screwworm to the United States decades after its initial eradication is a disappointing milestone, but it’s also one for which dairy producers have been preparing for more than a year, in collaboration with USDA and across agriculture. It’s important to remember that this development has no effect on food safety, and that measures to combat both the screwworm and its spread are in place and time-tested. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proactive efforts to prepare for this moment, and we stand ready to work with the department to address any ongoing challenges.

    Now that USDA has confirmed that screwworm is here, dairy farmers and all livestock producers pledge close collaboration with USDA, state and local officials, and producer organizations to mitigate any harmful effects and educate farmers on how to protect their herds. We have been creating resources to guide farmers in their responses, and we will keep our members well informed of any important screwworm developments.

    We also urge officials to follow scientific guidance in any decisions affecting animal movements and regulatory responses to avoid causing economic harm that could be greater than the screwworm itself. We also ask that adequate resources be provided to combat this problem, which causes suffering in animals and creates risk for producers.”

    Currently, no instances of New World screwworm have been reported in California.

  • CDFA Release Final Recommendations on Food Safety, Water Quality Report

    The Newsom administration released the final recommendations from a study that intends to improve food safety and water quality reporting for California’s agricultural community. This interagency collaboration between the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and the State Water Resources Control Board was developed with input from farmers, ranchers, and local leaders, and demonstrates California’s continued efforts to build a roadmap for the future.

    “I want to thank the many farmers, ranchers, local leaders and advocates, and agency colleagues who contributed to this work,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said. “You have helped us build a roadmap for smarter regulation – one that keeps pace with the complexity of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow. We look forward to aligning this report’s recommendations with future opportunities of parallel efforts underway.”

    “Innovative regulatory programs at the intersection of agriculture and water quality are critical to the state’s future,” said State Water Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel. “The State Water Board is proud to work alongside Secretary Ross and Secretary Garcia as we consider key recommendations from the agricultural community and other industry experts for these programs. One thing is clear: we must strengthen our data systems to maximize their value to decision makers and the public while minimizing the cost of compliance for growers. I look forward to working together to advance these programs for the benefit of all Californians.”

    The study evaluated California’s food safety and water quality regulatory requirements for agriculture as part of an effort to streamline administrative processes and optimize information collected by the state. The study was supported by funding in the 2021-22 budget.

    The report identifies 18 recommendations to streamline agency coordination, expand technical assistance, modernize data and reporting systems, and enhance regulatory efficiency while supporting food safety and environmental protection goals.

    View the study and its recommendations on the CDFA Regulatory Alignment Study website. — Story Contributed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture

  • Commercializing Almond Hulls as Food Ingredients

    Almond Board of California — Historically used for dairy cattle feed, almond hulls have had a consistent place in the animal nutrition space. However, a declining dairy herd, in combination with hulls being traded below their production cost, has propelled the industry and the Almond Board of California (ABC) to think about alternative revenue-generating opportunities.

    Helping lead this charge is ABC’s Biomass Working Group, formed in 2017 to explore new applications for almond co-products.

    “This biomass working group is where business meets science,” said Michael Kelley, chairman of the committee and president of Central California Almond Growers Association (CCAGA). “We have become exceedingly appreciative of the ideas and the potential for the commercialization of products using almond hulls.”

    Nutrition Potential

    One area almond hulls have shown strong potential for is human food products. Because of their high fiber content, natural sugars, phytochemicals, minerals, and processing versatility, they offer multiple benefits in the value-added ingredients food space.

    Being that they make up 50% of the almond fruit, they are also abundant in California, creating a reliable and readily available supply for large-scale product development.

    While some may question their safety for human consumption, there are positive indicators that prove almond hulls can meet food-grade quality standards. ABC Associate Director of Food Research and Technology, Guangwei Huang, noted that almond hulls have long been used safely in livestock feed, with no negative effects on animal health or performance. Studies have also shown that pesticide residue and toxicity exposure are not a concern.

    To explore these possibilities further, ABC partnered with Mattson, a product innovation firm, to develop samples of what could be done with hulls.

    These included a high-fiber bar made with 15% almond hulls, delivering five grams of fiber per serving, and a coffee beverage crafted from coarse-ground, roasted hulls. When added to coffee, almond hull powder helped reduce bitterness and enhanced sweetness. In baked goods like bread, it boosted both fiber and phytochemical content.

    Opportunity in “Upcycled” Markets

    Another advantage almond hulls offer is that by adding just 10% or more of almond hull powder to a product, it can qualify for a new third-party “upcycled” certification. While “upcycling” is a relatively new term, it’s become increasingly important to consumers concerned about food waste, noted Daniel Kurzrock, founder and CEO of Upcycled Foods.

    After working with upcycled ingredients across various commodities, Kurzrock said he’s seen firsthand the wide-ranging benefits. These include improved sustainability and circularity, the creation of new revenue streams, reduced disposal costs and stronger alignment with shifting consumer values.

    “The almond industry is not alone in seeing this potential,” he said. “There’s profit potential for every aspect of the stakeholder chain if we’re able to create uses that are solving problems for companies that buy ingredients.”

    Because the end-market for almond hulls is still being widely explored, he also suggested that at this stage in development, it’s important to initiate customer conversations before deciding what to invest in.

    “An approach that we find to be working with other materials is doing a pilot to produce some quantity of viable hulls that can go to a miller or a secondary processor to start those customer conversations,” he said.

    Steps for Commercialization

    While it’s not realistic to expect the hulls to be process-ready when leaving the huller/sheller, Huang said efforts to clean and improve their quality can still make a significant impact.

    “When the time comes, the industry needs to set minimal specifications or quality requirements for almond hulls for food uses,” Huang said. “We are trying to minimize foreign material, and most importantly, we need the involvement and attention of stakeholders. We’re not expecting the huller/seller to get hulls to the ready-to-process stage, but they can minimize those foreign materials down to less than 5%.”

    The industry must also complete a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) assessment for human consumption, a requirement mandated by the Food and Drug Administration since hulls haven’t previously been used as a food ingredient. This assessment  is expected to be completed by late 2025, Huang said.

    Innovations in Processing

    Several companies in the almond industry are already investing in hull-cleaning systems to ensure they are ready for when almond hulls receive food-safe approval. One of those pioneer companies is Cortez Growers Association.

    Recognizing almond hulls as a potential revenue stream, Cortez implemented a cleaning system to remove unwanted materials – sticks, shells, and almond meats – that typically end up in the hull pile. By separating these components, they could sell the almond meats as hash, a “refreshing benefit” to add value to what was once considered waste, said general manager, Dave Thiel.

    Other processors are also refining their methods. Corbin Sturdivan of Wilkey Industries explained that current hull cleaning systems include an aspirator to remove the shell from the hull and a detwigger deck to remove sticks from the hulls.

    “While this has worked for many years to reduce the fiber content for dairy feed, there is more refinement that we can do with this system by introducing additional screening and additional aspiration,” Sturdivan said.

    Through their trials with ABC, Sturdivan and his team discovered that by adding a screen to sift through the hulls, they could be better classified and ranked.

    “We would de-twig the product; it would be screened, and the screen would sift out all of the fines from the hulls,” he said. “What is left over is what we would call scalped hulls, and this is your larger, good material created from the early stages of hulling.”

    From their observation, Wilkey Industries also found that 1 to 1.3% of total hull weight can actually be recoverable kernel.

    “That translates to roughly 3% of your kernel production that is actually sitting in the hull pile,” he said. “So, by integrating a screen and some additional aspiration, not only can we clean the hulls, but we can also reclaim those kernels and hash that have much higher value to be sold instead of letting them go to dairy feed uses.”

    Additional Sorting Techniques

    As cleaning technologies continue to advance, innovations in color sorting are emerging as a key tool for preparing almond hulls for food-grade applications. The team at Chandler Automation has spent time working on this, and the initial models have been successful at “creating pure hull piles in one pass,” said CEO, Sean Chandler.

    More research is needed to determine where this best fits in the manufacturing process – be it at the huller, processor, or a separate site and how it will be financially feasible.

    “We have to do more research on our side to see the best way to mechanically clean hulls, mechanically feed it, and mechanically pass it through our systems because the technology is there to create that pure, premium hull,” he said.

    Looking Ahead

    As ABC continues to refine its strategy for marketing almond hulls as a food ingredient, the industry is taking proactive measures to position itself for success, and that starts with collaboration among all players involved.

    “We are about to begin a new journey to generate more revenue from almond hulls,” Huang concluded. “It will take a while and more effort to develop the market and demand, but if you are interested in creating more value out of almond hulls, many of us can work together to shorten the process.”

  • Ag Council Testifies, shares Critical Concerns with SB 54 Impacting Ag Packaging

    Photo L-R: Rick Tomlinson w/the CA Strawberry Commission, Melissa Koshlaychuk w/Western Growers Assoc., & Emily Rooney w/Ag Council.

    Ag Council of California President Emily Rooney recently testified at a meeting of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) State Board of Food and Agriculture regarding SB 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. Panel speakers included Melissa Koshlaychuk with Western Growers Association and Rick Tomlinson with the California Strawberry Commission. Representatives from the California Grocers Association and California Chamber of Commerce also spoke on a subsequent panel during the meeting, which was held earlier this summer.

    SB 54 requires that 100 percent of single use plastics be compostable or recyclable by 2032, along with other provisions. Reliable packaging is vital to our industry, and this regulation creates potential challenges for the food and agriculture community when it comes to protecting products for food safety purposes and preventing the spread of pests and diseases in some of our agricultural commodities. Ag Council staff has remained heavily engaged in the legislative and regulatory process since the bill’s inception.

    “Maintaining food safety and protecting the public and our environment from the potential spread of pests and disease are paramount when considering what type of package is utilized for various food and agricultural products,” Rooney stated. “It is imperative that the current language in the draft regulation highlighting certain exclusions is maintained and that we build more flexibility within the system so that the industry can continue to provide the safest quality products while conducting R&D in an effort to find alternatives.”

    Rooney noted that replacing packaging comes at significant cost, as well. Changing machinery can cost from $30 million to $100 million. Additionally, it takes several years to research and create packaging that is functional and safe for consumers.

    “Some businesses cook or pasteurize their products within the package to ensure the product does not get contaminated in the process. This method keeps the product and the inside of the package completely pristine.”

    “If this type of package is changed, millions of dollars in commodities will be bought, pasteurized, tested, validated and then destroyed. Many products that are in the experimental process for testing validation cannot be sold for human or animal consumption; therefore, resulting in excessive food waste. Changing packaging for this process would result in millions of dollars of lost capital and substantial food waste,” Rooney said.

    Melissa Koshlaychuk highlighted the benefits of plastic bags which bring shelf stability to leafy greens. Rick Tomlinson discussed the extensive efforts the Strawberry Commission has taken to ensure the plastic clamshell is recyclable. Several state board members asked questions of the panelists and explored potential workable solutions.

    Ag Council appreciates the invitation to speak to the state board about this important issue and thanks the board and Secretary Karen Ross for the opportunity.

    CalRecycle is in the process of drafting the final regulation, and CDFA has worked with the ag sector to highlight concerns with their sister agency. Ag Council will continue to be actively engaged on this issue on behalf of our members.

  • Expanded Market Access to Namibia is a Win for American Poultry Producers

    U.S. Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins announced American poultry producers will have greater market access to Namibia, which will now accept fresh, frozen, and chilled poultry exports from the United States. The Trump Administration continues to take bold action to break down non-tariff barriers and defend current market access for farmers and ranchers.

    “President Trump is renegotiating the status quo of bad trade deals that have left behind American farmers and ranchers for far too long. Our agriculture is the best in the world, and under President Trump’s leadership, we are providing more markets for farmers to share their bountiful harvest. The announcement today is a win for farmers, a win for exporters, and a win for freedom-loving nations who want access to safe, high-quality U.S. food,” said Secretary Rollins.

    Effective July 1, U.S. exporters are now eligible to ship fresh, frozen, or chilled poultry and poultry products to Namibia, unlocking a market valued at $15 million. In addition, USDA successfully negotiated the removal of burdensome export and transit permit requirements for processed poultry products—reopening a previously restricted channel.

    Namibia’s decision to recognize U.S. food safety standards and the work performed by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, affirms the global reputation of USDA’s inspection system, which ensures that American poultry products are not only competitively priced, but rigorously verified for safety and wholesomeness.

    This trade win follows four years of inaction by the Biden Administration, which caused the agricultural trade balance to go from a trade surplus under President Trump to a nearly $50 billion trade deficit under President Biden. Secretary Rollins has traveled to the U.K. and Italy, and will travel to Japan, Vietnam, India, Peru, and Brazil over the next three months to fight for American farmers and ranchers. Other USDA Trade Missions this year include the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mexico.

  • Little Birds, Little Poops, Little Food Safety Risk

    It doesn’t require a degree in ornithology, a lab test or even an app for most growers to determine whether bird poop near their crops presents a food safety risk. They just need to ask themselves a simple question: How big is it?

    That’s according to a study from the University of California, Davis, published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The study said an informed, nuanced view of food-safety risks and wild birds could help growers avoid crop losses and manage farms for food safety, biodiversity conservation and crop production.

    Since 2006, when an E. coli outbreak devastated the U.S. leafy greens industry, growers have been pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they sometimes carry — from visiting crops. Growers are often advised not to harvest crops within a roughly three-foot radius of any wildlife feces, lest they risk failing a food safety audit or losing a buyer contract. Growers often cite such concerns as a barrier to implementing conservation actions they would otherwise consider taking on their farms.

    “We wanted to find out the true risk of wild birds to food safety,” said lead author Austin Spence, a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. “Which birds have pathogens, which birds are spending time on farms, and if a bird has a pathogen, does that pathogen survive long in bird poop? Our findings indicate that we can co-manage our areas for both agriculture and conservation.”

    Northern harrier on sprinkler in leafy-green field, coastal CA (image by Rose Albert, UC Davis)

    Where pathogens persist

    Through field and greenhouse experiments, bird surveys, point counts and fecal transects, the authors assessed food-safety risks from nearly 10,000 birds across 29 lettuce farms on California’s Central Coast. They spent hours following turkeys, bluebirds and other wild birds at the UC Davis Student Farm and nearby Putah Creek, collecting hundreds of fecal samples. They compared E. coli survival in bird droppings on lettuce, soil and plastic mulch to measure pathogen persistence.

    After all of these efforts, they landed on a simple finding: Smaller poops from smaller birds carry very low risk of foodborne pathogens, which were rare in birds overall. If a bird were to become infected, pathogen survival depends heavily on the bird’s size.

    “Birds that are large produce really big feces, and that’s where pathogens are more likely to survive,” said Spence. “Birds that are small have tiny feces, and the pathogens die off quickly. So farmers don’t have to know the species of bird it came from. They just need to know the size. If it’s the size of a quarter, don’t harvest near that. If it’s a tiny white speck, it’s very low risk and probably fine.”

    Loggerhead shrike in a cabbage field with farmworker in background (Image by Rose Albert, UC Davis)

    Balancing conservation, crop yields, and food safety

    Beyond fecal size, what the birds pooped on — be it the crop, soil or plastic — made a difference for pathogen survival. In the study, E. coli survived longer on lettuce itself than on soil or plastic mulch.

    Fortunately, about 90% of birds observed on the farms were small and tended to poop mostly on soil, where pathogens perish quickly. By avoiding no-harvest buffers when food-safety risks are low, growers of leafy greens could harvest about 10% more of their fields.

    “Birds generally present really low food-safety risks,” said senior author Daniel Karp, a UC Davis professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. “The industry has been concerned about birds for a while. But pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella are vanishingly rare in wild, farmland birds. And we now know E. coli tends to die off quickly in most bird poop.”

    The study opens up new strategies for growers to better balance conservation and food-safety risks. For example, growers could erect nest boxes to attract small, beneficial insect-eating birds, like bluebirds and swallows, that help control pests without risking food safety.

    The work also contributes to a growing body of research that suggests growers do not need to remove habitat to improve food safety.

    “There have been no studies to date that suggest habitat removal improves food safety,” Karp said. “Habitat around farms is actually likely to favor the small, insect-eating birds that are unlikely to carry pathogens. Studies like ours are giving farmers science-based permission to conserve habitat — and many species of wild birds — on their farms again.”

    The study’s additional co-authors are Jeffery McGarvey and SangIn Lee at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Olivia Smith at Michigan State University, Elissa Olimpi at Conservation Science Partners, and undergraduates Wentao Yang and Meirun Zhang at UC Davis.

    The study was funded through the Center for Produce Safety, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. — By Kat Kerlin, UC Davis