FLORIDA TOMATO INDUSTRY IS A FOOD SAFETY LEADER, HOUSE PANEL TOLD

Speaking on behalf of Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, food safety expert Dr. Martha Roberts told a House subcommittee May 15 that the Florida tomato industry is at the forefront of food safety initiatives.

“While we strongly support federal efforts to mandate regulation, in Florida we are not waiting for these to develop but are actively enhancing the food safety of the tomatoes we produce,” she said, citing industry efforts such as the backing of recent legislation requiring state inspection of tomatoes.

Dr. Roberts testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture at a hearing to review industry response to food safety concerns over fresh and fresh-cut produce.

Others offering remarks included David Acheson, FDA assistant commissioner for food protection; Lloyd Day of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service; Lorna Christie, vice president, Produce Marketing Association; and Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Witness testimony is available at http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.