Food Safety

Food-borne illness strikes 48 million Americans each year; hospitalizing a hundred thousand and killing thousands. The Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2011 seeks to reduce these numbers by requiring growers to evaluate the hazards in their operations and implement measures to prevent contamination. Intertox has particular expertise in the specialty crop industry, relating to fruit, vegetables and tree nuts. In 2006, Intertox worked with the leafy green industry and a leading trade association, to develop best practices and food safety guidelines for leafy greens – a direct result of the E.coli outbreak in spinach. Intertox helped develop recommendations for reducing microbial contamination during production and harvest, along with testing strategies to detect microbial and chemical contamination. Since then, Intertox has worked on best practices for green onions, herbs and potatoes.