Legislative Update
Two recently amended bills relating to food safety and citrus disease are of great interest to now have our full attention.
AB 1372 - Food Safety Analysis and Control Plans Requires food processing establishments to adopt and implement Hazard Analysis& Critical Control Points Plans (HACCPP) as prescribed by the Department of Health & Human Services. The HACCPP will require the implementation of procedures to prevent food and ingredient contamination including monitoring, preventive controls, testing, corrective actions and record keeping. The department will have to be notified within 24 hours when positive test results indicate the presence of poisonous or deleterious substances or other contaminants. Department inspectors will also have complete access to facilities and any vehicles used to transport food and ingredients.
AB 281 - Citrus Disease Prevention (De Leon) Establishes an industry funded, 17-member California Citrus Disease Prevention Committee within CDFA. The committee is authorized to conduct two major program activities:
1. Informational programs to educate residential owners of citrus on the prevention and eradication of diseases or vectors specific to citrus.
2. Programs for the surveying, detecting, analyzing and eradication of diseases specific to citrus involving producers and residential owners of citrus.
If the committee is approved through an industry referendum, producers will be annually assessed up to seven cents ($0.07) per carton to fund the committee’s activities.
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