SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three food safety bills crafted by California State Sen. Dean Florez have passed the state Senate. Senate Bills 200, 201 and 202, which would enact tougher oversight on California leafy greens growers, were drafted by Florez in response to last fall's E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach. The bills have been a controversial issue within the state's produce industry, however. Chelling, spokesman for Western Growers in Irvine, said the additional proposed oversight is unnecessary now that the new state Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement is up and running, according to a published report. Senate Bill 200 would give the Department of Health Services authority to recall or destroy produce in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak. S.B. 201 mandates a set of good agricultural practices for leafy greens growers and would require documentation through the state Department of Health Services to prove that these practices are being followed. S.B. 202 would establish a traceback system when contaminated produce is found. All three bills passed the Senate with little debate.
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