Hollister
– State Assemblywoman Anna Caballero met with food safety
officials Thursday to discuss the recent E. coli outbreak. In a
statement released after the meeting, Caballero said she’s pleased
with progress that’s been made, but more research is necessary.
Hollister – State Assemblywoman Anna Caballero met with food safety officials Thursday to discuss the recent E. coli outbreak. In a statement released after the meeting, Caballero said she’s pleased with progress that’s been made, but more research is necessary.
“The safety of our food supply and the protection of our vital agriculture industry is a top priority,” she said.
Attending the meeting were A.G. Kawamura, the state’s Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture, as well as officials from the Department of Health Services, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Control Board and the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board.
Caballero said state agencies and the agriculture industry are making real improvements to food safety.
“It is clear, however, that ongoing research is essential to find real solutions that protect public health and the overall health of our economy,” she said.
Caballero made similar comments when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a $2.1 million increase to the state’s food safety budget.
The recent concern with food safety comes in the wake of last year’s E. coli outbreak, which was traced back to spinach processed in San Benito County. The outbreak sickened 200 people nationwide, killing three. It also led to a tough season for San Juan Bautista-based Natural Selection Foods and local farmers; 4.6 million pounds of spinach went unsold.
George Bonacich, president of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, said he welcomes a safety approach that’s based on “science, not emotion.”
“Everyone’s got a role to play,” he said. “But don’t put too many stumbling blocks in front of the farmers.”
