Truckers question produce transport rules

[Cybergal]

Ripe With Problems: Truckers question produce transport rules
6/18/07

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- The September 2006 outbreak of E.coli that killed three Americans and sickened another 200 (there was one confirmed case of illness in Canada) has prompted an examination of business practices within the California produce industry, particularly the leafy green growers and shippers.

For several months now, OOIDA (the Owner Operators and Independent Drivers Association) and members of the U.S. Congress have been questioning whether the produce industry should be allowed to regulate itself.
On June 1, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began requiring that all shipments of leafy green produce imported from California be accompanied by a document confirming it was grown according to the voluntary California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement. Joe Rajkovacz, regulatory affairs specialist at OOIDA, and a former produce hauler with more than 25 years experience, calls the measure inadequate.

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