8/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

Nationwide consistency sought on safety rules

By Doug Ohlemeier, Eastern Editor

In an effort to promote consistency in lettuce and leafy greens food safetyresearch, the Washington, D.C.-based United Fresh Produce Association'sResearch and Education Foundation is sponsoring a international food safetyconference.

The International Food Safety Research Symposium on Lettuce and Leafy Greensis an invitation-only event designed to bring U.S., European and Australianresearchers involved in lettuce and leafy greens research together withindustry, government, agricultural extension and academic scientists.

The symposium is scheduled for Sept. 20-21 in Washington, D.C., a week afterUnited Fresh's Washington Public Policy Conference on Sept. 12-14.

David Gombas, United Fresh's senior vice president of food safety andtechnology, said the idea of the conference is to bring researchers togetherso they can exchange information and learn about the type of studies theindustry needs to prevent duplicative efforts.

"Every researcher and every industry person out there has their idea of what'sneeded," Gombas said. "But getting those folks to talk about what's alreadybeen done and what's really needed so that we're not wasting those very fewresearch dollars that are available will be critical -- and the only way wewill get to the next generation of food safety for fresh produce."

Dole Food Co. Inc., Westlake Village, Calif., and Salinas, Calif.-based FreshExpress Inc. have pledged grants to help fund the conference. The foundationis organizing the event with the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, the University ofCalifornia's Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, and theUniversity of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Jim Lugg, Fresh Express' food safety chief, said in a news release that thecompany has invested in nine different lettuce and leafy greens researchprojects that are a part of the company's overall food safety efforts.

"We believe this symposium will be extremely valuable in helping to identifyand address the most critical areas of research, as well as in providing ameans for our government partners, like USDA and FDA, and other collaboratorsto better focus and coordinate our collective efforts," Lugg said.

Barry Eisenberg, co-chairman of United's food safety and technology counciland vice president of technical services for River Ranch Fresh Foods LLC,Salinas, said the council wants to broaden attention to food safety researchneeds throughout the produce industry.

"There's a lot of activity at this moment through universities, privatefunding and all this effort is out there," he said. "But we need to have abetter plan on how to advise people on what should be the priorities andespecially get people focused on what our immediate needs are."