05/29/08 Safety Audit

Safety Audits. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Food safety is becoming a high priority in the ag industry but as of yet, not a huge governmental issue. Many ag producers are taking it upon themselves to be inspected for safety issues according to Jim Quigley with WSDA's Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program who tells us the reason for this program. QUIGLEY: WSDA has actually looked at a program for GAP. GHP which is good agriculture and good handling practices for the past 4 or 5 years. Really what's looked at right now to heighten the program is the e. coli outbreak in California and potentially in some other states that have occurred. Quigley says many distributors are looking for certifications. QUIGLEY: The major distributors, the ones that our growers and our producers market their products through have basically placed demands on our industry that they be GHP & GAP certified to provide products to their establishments for the retail markets and ultimately to the consumer. Again, no federal mandates have been placed on the industry but Quigley says this is done on a volunteer basis. QUIGLEY: We're just one of several entities out there that is performing this service. Unfortunately commodity procurement which is the USDA Procurement branch that sources product for school lunch programs, military, etc have now placed requirements on the industry that supplies these products to them that they must be GHP and GAP certified. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.