PMA & United endorse common principles for food safety.

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh Produce Association (United) Boards of Directors recently announced that each association has endorsed similar resolutions calling for a federal food safety regulatory framework to protect public health and enhance consumer confidence in produce safety.

"We are pleased that both associations have reached an independent but common conclusion that produce safety standards must be federally mandated, risk-based and allow for commodity-specific regulation," said United Fresh Chairman Emanuel Lazopoulos and PMA Chairman Peter Goulet. "Such standards should be uniform and should apply consistently to an individual commodity or commodity group regardless of its place of production," they said.

"Both Boards of Directors believe that our industry must work together to support appropriate action and oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in order to ensure public confidence in the food supply," they said. "The FDA must also have the proper funding and support from Congress in order to provide leadership in setting commodity specific produce safety standards and overseeing compliance. We look forward to working together with FDA, as well as working collaboratively with state Departments of Agriculture, state Departments of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist in development, implementation, education and monitoring of food safety practices."

Both PMA and United will continue to encourage support for these principles among international, national, regional and commodity specific produce associations, working together with allies to ensure the most appropriate federal approach to specific produce safety measures.