Sep 5, 2023California LGMA releases annual report
The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement recently released its 2022-23 Annual Report, logging one decertification from 317 scheduled and unannounced audits.
Of the 243 scheduled audits and 74 unannounced field audits (from April 2022 to March 2023), the organization issued a total of 239 citations, of which 154 were for minor infractions, which doesn’t necessarily result in unsafe productions, according to the report. The decertification was in October, and although it was for a two-week period, the company is no longer a member of the California LGMA, according to the report.
The most common type of citation was for water use, with 71 of the 239 citations, followed by field sanitation issues, at 49.
“This lets LGMA staff know that we need to continue to prioritize outreach to our members regarding these topics,” Alyssa Licata, California LGMA’s compliance officer, said in the report. “In response to these findings, LGMA hosted office hours, sent out member updates and posted food safety support materials in our online resource library, called LGMA Connect.”
In his remarks in the annual report, CEO Tim York stresses the importance of collaboration and information sharing among the group’s members.
“In order to successfully create a true culture of food safety, we need to trust each other before consumers can trust us,” York said in the report. “Food safety is not, can not be, a competitive issue. It is instead the responsibility of our industry as a whole and what unites us in our purpose: bringing nutrients and joy to consumers.”
The report also has a list of the LGMA’s members, a breakdown of the organization’s expenses and a column from Jan Berk, CEO of San Miguel Produce and LGMA board chair.
The report is available online.
