A Measure of Tomato Safety

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The Packer Feb 08, 2012

Like all suppliers of fresh produce, tomato shippers have had their job complicated by the heightened scrutiny on food safety.

Painful memories of millions of dollars in losses after having their product implicated (wrongly, as it turned out) in a salmonella outbreak in 2008 still linger, making tomato suppliers all too aware of the importance of food safety protocols.

Tomato suppliers are concerned about the reality of adopting and implementing food safety audits, so they discussed “audit fatigue” at a recent fresh tomato industry meeting in Florida.

With retailers demanding their own specific auditing programs coupled with potential changes required by the Food Safety Modernization Act, even the most conscientious operators could find themselves investing heavily in food safety training, equipment and staffing only to find new requirements costing additional time and money — or even some business.

The tomato industry’s demonstrated openess in sharing ideas, voicing frustrations with existing audits and crafting science-based guidelines that meet the needs of all stakeholders in the value chain — grower-shippers, repackers, wholesalers, retailers — is commendable, as is their stated willingness to work with the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Meeting attendees expressed a consensus to reconcile agreed-upon tomato metrics with federal food safety rules as well as GlobalGAP standards.

A level regulatory playing field with clear guidelines benefits suppliers and their buyer partners alike.

The tomato industry is a business, but it’s good to see competitors acknowledge their mutual interest in preserving their market and the well-being of consumers.

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