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Category Archives: Food Safety

Statement from Secretary Ross on Food Safety Efforts by California Cantaloupe Growers

August 20, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

You may have heard about recent illnesses and two deaths linked to cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana. I am very concerned to learn about the severity of this outbreak. My heart goes out to those affected and their loved ones. All of agriculture and the food-supply chain have a responsibility to protect people from food-borne illness, and I am determined to …

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Of Canadian geese, worker training and record-keeping – building a culture of food safety on the farm

June 13, 2012   Scott Horsfall, CEO, Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement

Last week, a group of Canadian food writers and bloggers, accompanied by staff of the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA), toured two leafy greens fields and a processing facility in the Salinas area. The group was there as part of an innovative block grant program – a partnership between the LGMA and CDFA designed to raise awareness …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Food Safety, Specialty Crops, Trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

From USDA: Update from APHIS Regarding a Detection of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States

May 21, 2012   CDFA Staff

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2012/05/bse_update_statement.shtml On  April 24, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed  the nation’s 4th case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal  that was sampled for the disease at a rendering facility in central California.  This animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no  time presented a risk to the food supply, or …

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From the Packer – California cantaloupe growers back mandatory food safety

May 17, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/California-growers-back-mandatory-cantaloupe-food-safety-151781935.html In the wake of a listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupes from another state, the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board is establishing the state’s first mandatory food safety program implemented by a commodity board. The group is also expanding its territory statewide. “Imperial Valley growers have not been part of the board before,” John Gilstrap, California Cantaloupe Advisory Board manager, said …

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Still the People’s Agency 150 Years Later – Happy Birthday, USDA!

May 15, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

For producers and consumers of food, this is a sesquicentennial like no other. Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Morrill Act, the single piece of legislation that laid the foundation for the modern agricultural marvel we enjoy today. And now, it’s the 150th birthday of the USDA – as Abraham Lincoln called it, …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Alternative Fuels, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Climate Change, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Environment, Farm Bill, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, HLB, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Pierce's Disease, Specialty Crops, Trade, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Capital Public Radio – Raw milk, healthy or hazardous?

May 2, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2012/05/02/raw-milk-healthy-or-hazardous Milk, in its unpasteurized form is consumed by at least a hundred thousand Californians. Many believe the drink has special health benefits. In California, there are two main ways to get raw milk. You can buy it at a local health food store, or you can find an unlicensed cow owner willing to share the milk. Someone like Pattie …

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State Vet Dr. Annette Whiteford Named Chair of National Institute of Animal Agriculture

April 2, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

One of the best things about the California Department of Food and Agriculture is the talented group of people who work here. We have dedicated public servants with deep expertise in their chosen fields and a passion for making our state a better place. We are fortunate that many of our senior employees are placed in positions of national leadership. …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Animal Welfare, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Food Access, Food Safety, Trade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Robust testing for BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in California and U.S.

February 10, 2012   Dr. Annette Jones, California State Veterinarian

There was some confusion this week about bovine spongeform encephalopathy (BSE), or, as it’s commonly known, mad cow disease. Humans who are exposed to it by eating infected animal tissues–the only way it can be contracted–develop a disease called Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (VCJD), which is frequently confused with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a neurological illness that is not associated with VCJD. California …

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Ag Alert – Agriculture must engage in conversations about change

January 26, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.agalert.com/story/?id=3761 By Tom Nassif and Paul Wenger Increasingly, people want a say in how we produce and distribute food in the United States. We’ve long heard from environmental and animal rights groups. Now, the voices of celebrity chefs, authors and filmmakers are becoming much more prominent. Even hospitals, public health and medical groups are weighing in to encourage changes in the …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Trade, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Veterans Wanted Down on the Farm

November 10, 2011   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Tom Vilsack, the U.S. secretary of agriculture, said recently our country will need 100,000 new farmers over the next several years to maintain agriculture at its current level. Factor in the average age of existing farmers–they’re pushing 60–and a rapidly growing world population that must be fed, and it’s clear there will be many, many opportunities for young and new farmers in the years ahead. …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Food Access, Food Safety, Specialty Crops, Succession Planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments