No agreement on who should oversee produce industry

[Staff]

While U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have admitted that growing and packing practices for fresh fruits and vegetables needs to improve, they went on to say they favor voluntary guidelines that would allow the produce industry to regulate itself.

At a recent FDA public hearing on the issue, Elisa Odabashian, West Coast director of Consumers Union – who has been critical of the FDA’s stance to allow the produce industry to self-police – said the agency isn’t doing nearly enough to protect consumers from future food-borne outbreaks.

And many produce truckers – including OOIDA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Joe Rajkovacz who hauled produce for 20 years before joining the Association’s staff – say that the FDA isn’t doing anything to ensure the physical or financial safety of those who transport the nation’s food.

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