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Abstract
Protecting the safety of the U.S. food supply is a shared responsibility. Accomplishing that
task requires the efforts of multiple government agencies combined with private sector
participation. Despite the best efforts of the public–private partnership, the presence of microbial
contamination incidents continues to raise questions regarding the safety of the U.S.
food supply. As a result, there have been increased efforts to take measures to enhance food
safety by the government and industry groups. The passage of the Food Safety Modernization
Act establishes an increasing role for government in establishing and enforcing food safety
standards. This new initiative is designed to address food from domestic and foreign origins.
These U.S. government initiatives combined with the labyrinth of food safety standards promoted
by international organizations, foreign governments, private-sector retail food sales,
food processors, and producers have a common foundation. All of these standards generally
apply to four basic biohazards areas: soil, water, animals, and people. However, they all have an
effect on the costs that producers and other members of the industry face as they attempt to
implement and/or document the multitude of activities required for compliance. This article
provides an overview of the evolution of food safety standards related to the fresh produce
industry. An example of their potential consequences on the profitability of southern region
vegetable producers is provided and the potential impact on import suppliers is discussed.