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Category Archives: Food Safety

California Grown Lettuce and Leafy Greens Not Linked to Cyclospora Outbreak

August 12, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

From California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) With the ongoing cyclospora outbreak, many consumers, restaurants and grocery stores are concerned about the safety of their produce and its origin. The California LGMA would like to assure the public that California lettuce and leafy greens are in full production and are not associated with the ongoing outbreak. The U.S. Food and …

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California Maintains Vigilant Food Safety Monitoring as Federal Investigation Continues Focus on States with Outbreaks

July 17, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

State officials report no cyclosporiasis outbreak in California, with cases remaining below last year’s levels while CDPH and CDFA continue coordinating with federal partners. California continues to maintain one of the safest food supplies in the world, with no cyclosporiasis outbreak in the state and reported cases remaining lower than they were at this time last year. The California Department …

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June is Dairy Month! From Cow to Cup: The Food Safety Journey of Your Glass of Milk

June 23, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

Whether you’re pouring it over cereal, stirring it into coffee, or enjoying a slice of California cheese, the journey your milk and dairy food took was carefully monitored from the farm all the way to your table. For CDFA’s Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch (MDFS), that journey is a primary focus. Our mission to protect California consumers starts by …

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Secretary Ross discusses importance of fruit and vegetable inspections at national conference in San Diego

May 14, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross spoke to attendees of the 2026 Association of Fruits & Vegetables Inspection & Standardization Agencies (AFVISA) Conference on Wednesday, May 13. The association includes inspectors from throughout the country and Secretary Ross thanked them for working to maintain quality standards and specifications in produce brought to market to maintain the integrity consumers expect. Secretary Ross also …

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Food Safety: FDA releases initial findings of 5-year CA Central Coast environmental study, highlighting benefits of government and industry collaboration

March 5, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

The California agriculture industry continues to demonstrate that science and partnerships are the cornerstones of advancing food safety. In April 2021, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross called for industry participation to help solve recurring food safety incidents. This action followed a number of leafy green outbreaks between 2018 and 2020 that were traced back to the California Central Coast growing region and …

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New Report: “CDFA’s Contributions to California’s Agricultural Excellence”

February 9, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

By Karen Ross, SecretaryCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture We work hard to make California a better place to live because of what we grow and how we grow it. At the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), we work to build and safeguard resilient food systems – including programs that improve nutrition for students and extend additional benefits …

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Posted in Agricultural Education, Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Climate Smart Agriculture, Food Access, Food Safety, Invasive Species, Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving food safety tips from the USDA

November 17, 2023   Office of Public Affairs

America’s biggest food holiday is almost here, and the USDA wants to remind consumers to avoid habits that increase the risk of harmful bacteria in their Thanksgiving meal. “Unsafe handling and undercooking your turkey can cause foodborne illness,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. “To ensure your Thanksgiving meal is wholesome and memorable without the illness, …

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Secretary Ross joins Salinas food safety tour

October 25, 2022   Office of Public Affairs
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Webinar series and interim report about agricultural neighbor best practices for food safety available online

July 29, 2021   Office of Public Affairs

A webinar series hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation in partnership with the Monterey County Farm Bureau and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) about best food safety practices for agricultural neighbors is now available online. The recordings include members of the California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) group discussing the CAN interim report, “California Agricultural Neighbors: Neighbor-to-neighbor best practices …

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FDA Partners with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Western Center for Food Safety, and California Agricultural Stakeholders to Enhance Food Safety

November 19, 2020   Office of Public Affairs

Shared from an FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Constituent Update “California leads the world in leafy greens production and innovation. Industry and food safety officials are proud to partner on this in-depth scientific study protecting public health.” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing the launch of a multi-year study to …

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