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Category Archives: Food Safety

From the Packer – California cantaloupe growers back mandatory food safety

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/California-growers-back-mandatory-cantaloupe-food-safety-151781935.html In the wake of a listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupes from another state, the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board is establishing the state’s first mandatory food safety program implemented by a commodity board. The group is also expanding its territory … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Food Safety | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Still the People’s Agency 150 Years Later – Happy Birthday, USDA!

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

For producers and consumers of food, this is a sesquicentennial like no other. Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Morrill Act, the single piece of legislation that laid the foundation for the modern … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Alternative Fuels, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Climate Change, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Environment, Farm Bill, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, HLB, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Pierce's Disease, Specialty Crops, Trade, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Capital Public Radio – Raw milk, healthy or hazardous?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2012/05/02/raw-milk-healthy-or-hazardous Milk, in its unpasteurized form is consumed by at least a hundred thousand Californians. Many believe the drink has special health benefits. In California, there are two main ways to get raw milk. You can buy it at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dairy, Food Safety, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

State Vet Dr. Annette Whiteford Named Chair of National Institute of Animal Agriculture

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

One of the best things about the California Department of Food and Agriculture is the talented group of people who work here. We have dedicated public servants with deep expertise in their chosen fields and a passion for making our … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Animal Welfare, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Food Access, Food Safety, Trade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Robust testing for BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in California and U.S.

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Dr. Annette Jones, California State Veterinarian

There was some confusion this week about bovine spongeform encephalopathy (BSE), or, as it’s commonly known, mad cow disease. Humans who are exposed to it by eating infected animal tissues–the only way it can be contracted–develop a disease called Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Access, Food Safety, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ag Alert – Agriculture must engage in conversations about change

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.agalert.com/story/?id=3761 By Tom Nassif and Paul Wenger Increasingly, people want a say in how we produce and distribute food in the United States. We’ve long heard from environmental and animal rights groups. Now, the voices of celebrity chefs, authors and … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Trade, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Veterans Wanted Down on the Farm

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Tom Vilsack, the U.S. secretary of agriculture, said recently our country will need 100,000 new farmers over the next several years to maintain agriculture at its current level. Factor in the average age of existing farmers–they’re pushing 60–and a rapidly growing world population that must … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Food Access, Food Safety, Specialty Crops, Succession Planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Farm Bill Framing Document for California Ready for Review

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Here in California and across the nation, discussion is well underway about development of the 2012 Farm Bill.  The legislation is renewed every five years and is the essential component in our country’s farm and food policy.  The Farm Bill … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Animal Welfare, Environment, Farm Bill, Food Access, Food Safety, Specialty Crops, Trade | Leave a comment

TV Report: Pesticide Residue Testing at Farmers’ Markets

Posted on September 16, 2011 by CDFA Staff

Bay Area NBC station KNTV aired a report this week that followed several fruit and vegetable samples from a local farmers’ market to CDFA’s lab, where analysts check for pesticide residues.  See the report online at http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/business/Farmers_Market_Inspections_Bay_Area-129888613.html

Posted in Environment, Farmers' Markets, Food Safety | Tagged , | Leave a comment

National Ag Association Surveys States’ Raw Milk Regs

Posted on July 19, 2011 by CDFA Staff

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has released its latest iteration of a recurring survey of state laws governing raw milk. Five states have strengthened standards for how much bacteria is permitted in government sampling of raw … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Safety | Tagged , , | 1 Comment