The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is sharing initial findings from a multi-year environmental study conducted in California's Central Coast agricultural region that will inform efforts to further improve the safety of produce — an essential component of a healthy diet. The California Longitudinal Study was conducted in partnership with the Western Center for Food Safety at the University of California, Davis, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and regional agricultural stakeholders.
The Central Coast of California is farmed year-round and supplies a large volume of produce, which includes more than 400 commodities. However, there have been periodic foodborne illness outbreaks associated with the region, including several that occurred between 2016 and 2020 caused by the same E. coli O157:H7 strain. This study sought to identify environmental factors that significantly contribute to the introduction, persistence, and spread of foodborne pathogens that could contaminate produce prior to harvest. Increasing our understanding of the ecology of this growing region as it pertains to foodborne pathogens is to the benefit of consumers, producers, academia, and food safety officials as it allows for continued improvement in best growing practices to enhance food safety.
Source : fda.gov