Hollister
– The state Assembly unanimously passed a bill Monday asking
Congress to fund research on the causes of E. coli contamination of
leafy green vegetables, an issue local farmers say needs more
federal funding.
Hollister – The state Assembly unanimously passed a bill Monday asking Congress to fund research on the causes of E. coli contamination of leafy green vegetables, an issue local farmers say needs more federal funding.
“From day one it has been clear to me that we needed more research to tell us how the E. coli contamination of leafy green vegetables occurred,” said the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, in a press release. “There are all kinds of theories, many involving expensive changes for growers and processors.
“But it makes no sense to me to require strategies that may not work.”
Caballero represents the 28th Assembly district, including San Benito County and the Salinas Valley, where much of the nation’s spinach is grown. An E. coli outbreak linked to spinach processed by San Benito County’s organic giant Natural Selection Foods in 2006 sickened more than 200 people and is believed to have caused three deaths nationwide.
“Growers and consumers both deserve solid information about how to prevent contamination,” Caballero said in the statement.
San Benito County Farm Bureau Vice President Richard Silva said he supports the legislation.
“I have to applaud Assemblywoman Caballero and her efforts to help us move forward with this research,” he said. “She is really going to bat for the farmers.”
The resolution next goes to Congress.
