SACRAMENTO—Assemblywoman Anna Caballero (D-28) today announced that she had written to the state and private sector sponsors of a new Produce Safety Research Center at the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) at U.C. Davis., urging the creation of an advisory committee to provide input on E coli and other food safety research priorities.

Caballero said:  “I applaud the proactive approach taken by the agricultural industry, the University of California at Davis and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in creating a new produce safety research center at WIFSS. 

”But where is there a role for consumers, small growers and farm workers?  They can provide valuable input into research priorities.”

The newly created Produce Safety Research Center will conduct urgently needed scientific research into the causes of the E coli contamination of leafy green vegetables traced last year to the Salinas and Central Valleys.  The creation of the new center closely mirrors Caballero’s AB 1024, which sought to create and fund a similar food safety research program at WIFSS.  Caballero introduced the measure followed weeks of discussions with state and local health, agricultural and environmental agencies and organizations, consumer and labor representatives, small growers, sustainable agricultural representatives and researchers at WIFSS. 

But the sponsors’ joint announcement omitted mention of one key aspect of AB 1024:  an advisory committee of farm labor, consumers, small growers and sustainable agricultural experts to provide input on research priorities.

In her letter to the sponsors of the new Produce Safety Center, Caballero said, “I urge you to avoid the temptation to draw a circle around your endeavors that leaves critical voices outside… These stakeholders will be affected by your work, and they have much to offer.  I urge you to create an advisory committee along the lines outlined in AB 1024.”

Since assuming office in December, Caballero has stressed the need for better research to identify how the E coli contamination of leafy greens occurred in the Salinas and Central Valleys.  “It’s always seemed clear to me,” she said.  “We can’t prevent future outbreaks if we don’t know for certain how the contamination occurred.”

With the joint announcement of the creation of the Produce Safety Center at WIFSS, Asm. Caballero has determined to drop her bill creating the center, even as she will continue to push for the creation of an advisory committee.  

“It’s not often that a legislator can declare victory on the adoption of the core goal of one of her bills so early in the session.  In this case, I’m gratified and pleased to be able to do so.”