Research is a critical component of the produce industry's efforts to better understand and address food safety challenges.  Since the spinach crisis in 2006, the leafy greens industry has developed and implemented extensive new food safety standards, metrics and compliance programs.  However, in order to continue to improve the science that is the basis for these standards and programs, we must first identify the industry's most acute research needs.  This is why, in September 2007, United Fresh brought together U.S. and international academic scientists, state and federal regulators, and industry representatives to identify those essential research needs.

The first International Lettuce and Leafy Greens Food Safety Research Conference was held September 20 and 21, 2007 in the Washington, D.C. area, with the charge to develop a prioritized list of research needs to address the issue of E. coli  O157:H7, Salmonella and other human pathogens in and on lettuce and leafy greens.  The major goals were to identify solution-driven research objectives, to build consensus on needs and to build the working relationships and collaborative partnerships necessary to achieve success.  The Conference Report and the documents discussed during the conference are listed below.

For more information, please contact Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh, at 202-303-3411, dgombas@unitedfresh.org.

• Leafy Greens Food Safety Research Conference
• Conference Agenda
• Conference Attendees
• Leafy Greens Bibliography - Buchanan August 2007
• USDA ARS Project Summaries
• USDA CSREES Project Summaries
• Lettuce Industry Research Agenda
• Charge to the Working Group
• Practices, Possibilities, and Controls - James Gorny
• Microbial Food Safety Research - Leafy Green Vegetables - Steven Gendel
• Working Group Reports and Initial Conclusions

Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh, welcomes scientists from academia, industry and government to the first International Lettuce and Leafy Greens Food Safety Research Conference in September 2007.

David DeLorenzo, President and CEO of Dole Food Company, speaks to conference attendees and expresses his company's support for food safety research.

More than 70 scientists from academia, industry and government took part in the International Lettuce and Leafy Greens Food Safety Research Conference, sponsored by the United Fresh Research & Education Foundation.