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Media Contacts: Sara Fleury Melanie Blair
BJC BJC
602-277-9530 x226 602-277-9530 x229
FACT SHEET
History: September 2007 marked the beginning of the Arizona Leafy Green Products Shipper Marketing Agreement (AZ LGMA). Members of the Arizona Leafy Greens are working collaboratively to protect public health by reducing potential sources of contamination in Arizona-grown leafy greens.
By the Numbers:
· Arizona Leafy Greens represents a $1 billion leafy green industry in Arizona.
· Arizona Leafy Greens industry employs more than 20,000 workers.
· Approximately 85 percent of the leafy greens consumed in the United States and Canada comes from Arizona from the months of November through March.
· The certified members produce more than 52 million cartons, representing 96 percent of leafy greens grown in Arizona.
Products: The 14 leafy green products covered by the Arizona Leafy Greens Agreement include:
· Endive
· Escarole
· Spring Mix
· Cabbage
· Romaine Lettuce
· Butter Lettuce
· Arugula
· Iceberg Lettuce
· Green Leaf Lettuce
· Red Leaf Lettuce
· Baby Leaf Lettuce
· Spinach
· Kale
· Chard
Enforcement:
Members and their leafy green products are held to strict qualifications and regulations, developed by industry experts and monitored by government regulators. All member companies are subject to mandatory audits to ensure practices are being implemented. The food safety practices cover three main areas:
Environmental Assessments: Member companies are required to have a complete food safety compliance plan, an up-to-date list of growers and a written trace-back program. Pre-season and pre-harvest assessments are required to make sure conditions that can affect food safety, such as animal intrusions, flooding, proximity to animal feeding operations, etc. are not present, or have been properly mitigated.
Water and Inputs: Extensive testing, certification and record-keeping for all sources of water and soil amendments, including compost and fertilizers used in the production of leafy greens is required by the program.
Work Practices and Field Observations: Field audits verify that farmers are in compliance with the program’s requirements in the areas of worker practices and field sanitation.
Service Mark:
Leafy greens products produced by Arizona Leafy Greens member companies carry a Service Mark to make them easily recognizable for buyers.
Organization Contact:
The AZ LGMA is managed through the Arizona Department of Agriculture
CONTACT: Teressa Lopez, (602) 542-0945 |
