An essential job at CDFA is the position of inspector. They serve in numerous capacities throughout our agency, including the inspection of the yellow sticky traps we discussed earlier this week and so much more in our division of Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services.
We have an entire division named for inspections. It’s called Inspection Services, and the excellent work undertaken there ranges from organic crops to fertilizer, from certified farmers’ markets to quality standards for fruits and vegetables, and from feed safety to produce safety.
We also have a dedicated team of inspectors in our Division of Measurement Standards. They make sure that fuel of all sorts is measured accurately, that leaders in the new economy are doing business fairly, and that measurements used in commerce are conducted accurately.
Our Division of Animal Health and Food Safety Services inspects dairy foods, egg producers and livestock ownership, as well as investigating outbreaks of foreign animal disease and working to eradicate those outbreaks.
Inspectors are part of the essential food and ag workforce and it is their work that helps keep the food supply open and moving from field to customers. Their duties cannot be done remotely – they are part of the CDFA’s work continuing during this unprecedented and challenging year of COVID-19.
I am grateful for all our inspectors do to protect us.