Peanut growers were not to blame for the salmonella contamination problem that happened earlier this year, but everyone can do their part to make sure peanuts are the safest product possible from farm to plate.
The role that peanut growers play in food safety was addressed during the Southern Peanut Producers Conference today by Dr. Darlene Cowert, president of JLA USA, a tech services company based in Albany, Georgia. “Food ingredient safety is started at the farm level,” Darlene says, and growers can minimize risk on their operations to deliver a safe product to shellers and ultimately to consumers.
Her presentation was a joint effort between her company and the American Peanut Council to revamp and improve the good agricultural practices. The APC board will vote on those practices and ultimately that will lead to educational sessions to be offered through county extension offices.
Listen to my interview with Dr. Cowert here:
Darlene Cowert (3:30 min MP3)