Oct 31, 2006 9:07 AM, from staff and wire reports

Western Growers will take action to initiate a California Marketing Agreement and a Marketing Order that establish mandatory Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) that strengthen spinach and leafy green food safety procedures.

The action by the trade association's board of directors would also include initiating a federal marketing order to develop comprehensive and mandatory national spinach and leafy green food safety standards.

The effect of these actions, when completed, will be to impose enhanced and mandatory food safety processes on all aspects of growing, packing, processing, and shipping of spinach and leafy greens. State and federal government regulatory agencies will oversee enforcement and process verification.