Photo L-R: Rick Tomlinson w/the CA Strawberry Commission, Melissa Koshlaychuk w/Western Growers Assoc., & Emily Rooney w/Ag Council
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Ag Council President Emily Rooney recently testified at a meeting of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) State Board of Food and Agriculture regarding SB 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. Panel speakers included Melissa Koshlaychuk with Western Growers Association and Rick Tomlinson with the California Strawberry Commission. Representatives from the California Grocers Association and California Chamber of Commerce also spoke on a subsequent panel during the meeting, which was held earlier this summer.
SB 54 requires that 100 percent of single use plastics be compostable or recyclable by 2032, along with other provisions. Reliable packaging is vital to our industry, and this regulation creates potential challenges for the food and agriculture community when it comes to protecting products for food safety purposes and preventing the spread of pests and diseases in some of our agricultural commodities. Ag Council staff has remained heavily engaged in the legislative and regulatory process since the bill’s inception.
“Maintaining food safety and protecting the public and our environment from the potential spread of pests and disease are paramount when considering what type of package is utilized for various food and agricultural products,” Rooney stated. “It is imperative that the current language in the draft regulation highlighting certain exclusions is maintained and that we build more flexibility within the system so that the industry can continue to provide the safest quality products while conducting R&D in an effort to find alternatives.”
Rooney noted that replacing packaging comes at significant cost, as well. Changing machinery can cost from $30 million to $100 million. Additionally, it takes several years to research and create packaging that is functional and safe for consumers.
“Some businesses cook or pasteurize their products within the package to ensure the product does not get contaminated in the process. This method keeps the product and the inside of the package completely pristine.”
“If this type of package is changed, millions of dollars in commodities will be bought, pasteurized, tested, validated and then destroyed. Many products that are in the experimental process for testing validation cannot be sold for human or animal consumption; therefore, resulting in excessive food waste. Changing packaging for this process would result in millions of dollars of lost capital and substantial food waste,” Rooney said.
Melissa Koshlaychuk highlighted the benefits of plastic bags which bring shelf stability to leafy greens. Rick Tomlinson discussed the extensive efforts the Strawberry Commission has taken to ensure the plastic clamshell is recyclable. Several state board members asked questions of the panelists and explored potential workable solutions.
Ag Council appreciates the invitation to speak to the state board about this important issue and thanks the board and Secretary Karen Ross for the opportunity.
CalRecycle is in the process of drafting the final regulation, and CDFA has worked with the ag sector to highlight concerns with their sister agency. Ag Council will continue to be actively engaged on this issue on behalf of our members.