Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Grower's Association

News & Issues

 

Category: Food Safety

Tomatoes Cleared in the 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak Fiasco

March 2, 2011 – 11:21 am |  Filed Under: 
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided detailed evidence linking a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008 to jalapeño and serrano peppers, and explained how tomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages of the investigation. The blame focused on tomatoes because of incomplete information gathered from consumers. United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel said, "The study in the Medicine has eaten weeks earlier can be useful, but not definitive, in these investigations. It's clear from the study that many sick individuals recalled
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For the First Time, United’s Industry-Leading Recall Training Available Online

February 9, 2011 – 1:47 pm |  Filed Under: 
Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire Webinar Education Series The United Fresh Foundation presents a new online version of its Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire course. With overwhelming popularity and sold-out courses in the past, United offers this new online series to companies in need of the fundamentals of a product recall. This webinar course includes all the core elements of the renowned three-day in-person course, but the with convenience of attending right at your own desk. The series features one-hour webinars hosted weekly for six consecutive weeks starting on Friday, March 11, 2011. • Identify what
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Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) Training

January 31, 2011 – 7:21 am |  Filed Under: 
  TO ALL GEORGIA VEGETABLE GROWERS:   Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) Training    As of January 1, 2011 all fumigation labels have changed.  Every grower/owner operation must complete a Soil Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) before applying any fumigant with a product label dated after January 1, 2011.  The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the Georgia Commodity Commission for Vegetables in cooperation with the UGA Extension Service will be providing training for growers in developing and writing a Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) as required by the new fumigant label.  This training will be held at the county extension office
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Be Recall Ready: Preparing Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Producers for Recalls

June 30, 2010 – 12:58 pm |  Filed Under: 
Be Recall Ready    The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association is partnering with Dr. David Gombas of United Fresh Produce Association and Amy Philpott of Watson and Mulhern to offer a FULL day of preparing Georgia’s producers for recalls in the produce industry, Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton, GA. This hands-on educational course will help growers and shippers be recall ready with an understanding of the fundamentals of produce recalls. Many other traceability workshops have been offered in the past but have been too expensive or offered a teaser in order to sell
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Obama administration unveils obesity action plan

June 15, 2010 – 12:46 pm |  Filed Under: 
A produce-friendly action plan to solve childhood obesity within a generation has attracted widespread praise from food industry and nutrition advocates. First Lady Michelle Obama and other Obama administration officials unveiled the action plan in a presentation May 11. The plan to reduce the rate of childhood obesity to 5% by 2030 outlines 70 specific recommendations that stress physical fitness and better nutrition for America’s youth. The plan’s focus on encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is in line with foodservice industry trends, said Dawn Sweeney, president of the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association. “The restaurant industry is built
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Bill Brim Testimony

September 30, 2009 – 11:52 pm |  Filed Under: 
Testimony by Bill Brim National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Hearings September 30 – October 1, 2009 Jacksonville, FL My name is Bill Brim.  I am the co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms and Quality Produce, Inc., a farm and shipping operation in Tifton, Georgia.  The farm was originally established as a vegetable seedling operation by my father-in-law in the 1940’s.  Today we still grow vegetable seedlings, approximately 115 million vegetable transplants and 18 million pine seedlings however, our operations have expanded to also include 4500 acres of mixed vegetables.  Included in the 4500 vegetable acres are 120 acres of cabbage and
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