Farm to Fork
FLORIDA: IMPLEMENTING MANDATORY TOMATO RULES
This summer FDA issued a warning to consumers to avoid eating raw red, Roma and round tomatoes, which FDA suspected were responsible for Salmonella cases reported across the country. Even though Florida's tomatoes were not shipping to the locations where consumers were falling ill from Salmonella, the entire industry suffered. Estimates of losses to Florida growers range from $120 million to $140 million. Florida developed its own tomato safety rules prior to the outbreak, but the rules were not enforced. Enforcement will commence this fall for Florida tomato packers including requirements for washing every tomato prior to packaging. See www.floridatomatoes.org.
CALIFORNIA HENS IN CAGES
The fate of California's 19 million egg-laying hens is a subject for California's November ballot. Proposition 2, effectively bans farms from raising hens in cages. The Human Society argues that an increase in the price of eggs is worth the cost. A Field Poll released last month showed voters were in favor by a margin of 63 percent to 24 percent, with 13 percent undecided. Proposition 2 would also require farmers to increase the space available for calves and pregnant pigs, but the focus is on California's egg-laying hens, more than 90 percent of which are raised in cages. The new law would require housing that allows hens to fully spread their wings without touching the side of an enclosure or other hens.