How Safe Are Your Leafy Greens?

Despite last year’s deadly E coli outbreak, government regulators cannot say with certainty that the leafy greens finding themselves onto your dinner table are safe. Regulations governing California farms are still in the same state they were spinach with bacteria from a cattle ranch killed three people and infected over 200 more.

The Associated Press found that federal inspections of produce farms occurred once every 3.9 years. California, which produces three quarters of the nation’s leafy greens, has new inspections in place; however, the voluntary guidelines have not protected consumers from recent cases of salmonella.

Despite all the controversy and proposals that have found their way to Congress, potentially requiring inspections up to four times a year, there have been no changes in the way the government regulates food. With headlines slowly disappearing and the industry calling for self-regulation, there seems to be no urgency to protect what the public consumes on a daily basis.

Protect yourself, your business and your customer by having your staff trained in food safety training and food handler training. While you can’t guarantee that your leafy greens are safe, at least you can guarantee that the service and preparation was. It is on us all to do our part to protect the public and it is time for the government to take a more aggressive stance on food safety inspections and regulations.