LGMA News:
Survey Shows Substantial Improvements in Food Safety Systems
for California Leafy Greens Companies
February 26 , 2008
Sacramento, California – According to a recent survey of California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) members, already substantial investment in food safety programs by LGMA members have tripled since September of 2006. The results of this survey, conducted by Dr. Dennis Tootelian, Director of the Center for Small Business in the College of Business Administration at California State University, Sacramento, clearly demonstrate the commitment to food safety by members of the leafy greens industry.
“Prior to September 2006 LGMA members had an average of at least one dedicated staff member and dollar investment of more than $210,000,” reports Dr. Tootelian. “Since then LGMA members have greatly enhanced their food safety programs. The survey shows individual companies have, on average, doubled the number of staff people dedicated to food safety activities. And when it comes to their total investment in food safety programs, the average LGMA member now spends over $604,000 per year on food safety activities -- that is nearly triple the amount they were spending prior to September 2006.” According to the study, total investments in food safety by LGMA members reached $71 million since September of 2006.
The LGMA was created in March 2007 and provides a system with mandatory government audits to ensure food safety practices are being followed in the California leafy greens industry. To further quantify food safety practices now in place throughout the industry, the LGMA conducted a survey of its members to determine the level of activity in six key food safety areas prior to September 2006 and to compare those with systems in place today. The six areas examined include traceability processes, number of employees dedicated to food safety activities, annual investment in food safety, water testing and acreage lost as a result of animal activity or buffer zones under the new LGMA food safety practices.
The survey was conducted in November 2007 and was mailed to all 118 signatories members of the LGMA. Some 49, or 49.5 percent, of the members responded, which is considered quite high for such a survey. Below is a summary of the key findings:
- While most LGMA members had traceability processes in place prior to September 2006, about three in five of those with processes expanded them subsequent to that date.
- Seven in ten LGMA members had at least one staff member dedicated to food safety prior to September 2006, and the approximate average was 1.06. Currently, more than nine in ten members have at least one staff member dedicated to food safety, and the approximate average is 2.26. This suggests that the average LGMA member may have more than doubled the number of staff dedicated to food safety since September 2006.
- About three in four LGMA members invested $10,000 or more annually in food safety prior to September 2006 and the approximate average investment was $210,000. Currently, more than nine in ten members invest $10,000 or more annually in food safety and the approximate average is $604,545. This indicates that the average LGMA member may have nearly tripled its investment in food safety since September 2006.
- Nearly two in three LGMA members indicated they lost at least one acre due to animal activity, and half lost between one and fifty acres, since September 2006. However, more than nine in ten said it amounted to 5% or less of its total acreage.
- Most LGMA members indicated they lost at least one acre due to buffer zone requirements since September 2006, with nearly two in five indicating they lost between one and twenty acres. However, more than nine in ten said it amounted to 5% or less of its total acreage.
- While more than three in four LGMA members indicated they conducted monthly water tests before September 2006, all reported doing so now. Prior to September 2006, the approximate average number of water tests was 10.68 per month, compared to 52.23 per month now. Therefore, it appears that the number of water tests conducted by LGMA members may have increased about five-fold since September 2006.
- Given that the sample was representative of the shipping volume of all LGMA members, it is possible to extrapolate the results of this study to all LGMA members. Accordingly, it appears that the number of staff dedicated to food safety, the investment in food safety, and the investment in water tests have expanded substantially when comparing the time pre- and post-September 2006 time periods. The projected industry-wide investment in food safety is now believed to be $71 million per year.
Survey findings will be used to assist industry in continued improvements to the food safety system for leafy greens and will also be useful in determining cost and impact of LGMA required food safety practices.
Download the 2007 LGMA Handler Survey 