prunings A
fter an intensive comparison process spanning almost a year, CanadaGAP – an on-farm food safety program for fresh fruit and vegetable producers and packers – has been
benchmarked successfully against the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements. The CanadaGAP program consists of national food safety standards and a certification system for the safe production, storage and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Six commodity-specific manuals, developed by the horticultural industry and reviewed for technical soundness by Canadian government officials, are designed for growers and packers implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). The manuals contain
comprehensive guidance based on a rigorous hazard analysis using HACCP principles. CanadaGAP is managed by the Canadian Horticultural Council, an industry association representing over 20,000 fruit and vegetable farmers.
A packing plant for organic blueberries has opened in Grandview, the first in Eastern Washington. The plant was built in record time by Olsen Brothers Ranches, taking just two months. according to a report on
freshplaza.com. Dave McFadden, with New Vision, said the organic blueberry industry is on the upswing in Eastern Washington and Olson Brothers are ahead of the curve. The new facility will employ around 35 seasonal workers this year. Expansion is possible as well, with blueberry packing taking up only a small portion of the building... Under a new Louisiana law, all strawberries sold in the state — including those grown in Florida and California — must have a “farm of origin” label on consumer packages.
GFSI approval means CanadaGAP is recognized as equivalent to other GFSI-benchmarked programs for the primary production sector, such as SQF 1000, GlobalGAP and PrimusGFS, which many buyers require, both in Canada and abroad...
A bill signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal on May 26, applies only to strawberries but could be applied to other commodities such as citrus, tomatoes and seafood, said Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain. While technically a law, the specific wording and scope of what’s covered hasn’t been finalized. Strain said a commission within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Strawberry Marketing Board would develop the rules with legislative oversight, possibly by September.
“This came from the strawberry farmers,” he said. “With this buy fresh, buy local push, when our consumers buy berries, we want them to have the option of buying fresh and local Louisiana berries. You will see this in the future on all produce and will see this moving into national policy.”
While many states promote agricultural products through specialty crop block grant programs, Robert Guenther, senior vice- president of public policy for the Washington, DC-based United Fresh Produce Association, said he hasn’t seen other states institute laws similar to Louisiana’s. “Our goal is to move consumption of all fresh produce,” Guenther said. “We want to make sure we are not trying to divide the industry by commodity, state or region. While we think it’s important for states to promote and be proud of their products, to start mandating regulations on commodities entering their states in
terms of commerce, I’m not sure if that would move the ball forward on increasing overall consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables...” Research into the health benefits of blackcurrants is opening new doors for marketers of the berry. New Zealand blackcurrant growers are exploring the marketing opportunities highlighted by a Plant and Food Research report earlier this year. The report joined a body of international research attributing a number of health benefits to blackcurrants, such as being able to reduce asthma symptoms and improve eyesight, blood circulation and mental acuity.
Such research has opened new doors for blackberry marketers, such as International Blackcurrant Association (IBA) president Jim Grierson, based in Christchurch in New Zealand, reported NZPA. “This research is turning consumers back to our
blackcurrants,” he said. “The types of health and functional values being proven are simply extraordinary.” The IBA is planning to provide blackcurrant or blackcurrant extracts to athletes to demonstrate their effects, the NZPA report said. Berry polyphenols such as those found in blackcurrants had been shown the improve decision making under stress, they said. Additional research in Japan and France has also indicated blackcurrants could reduce eyestrain, improve night vision, and improve circulation to the extremities in cold weather...
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18 British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2010
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