With the passage of the Food Safety & Modernization Act (FSMA), we enter another chapter in the fight against foodborne illness. Therefore, I would like to discuss something that used to be at the forefront of our business before food safety emerged as a leading concern - PRODUCE QUALITY.

Please understand that I'm not discounting food safety. We must continue to keep food safety as a top priority in our industry, especially with people's health and well-being at stake. It is easy to see why food safety is constantly at the forefront of our business. I'm just lobbying that we also recognize the continued importance of produce quality.

Produce quality is a term that seems to have become distant, maybe even lost in our industry-especially to newcomers. I have had discussions with industry people who think produce quality is the same as produce food safety.

Let's set the record straight. The two are not the same, as shown by these definitions:

Produce Quality: Grade standards for attributes like size, color, shape, and flavor

Produce Food Safety: Issues concerning the contamination of fresh produce by foodborne bacteria like salmonella or Listeria presenting potential public health concerns.

 The difference is that produce quality is about grade standards measuring certain attributes, while produce food safety is about contamination and public health.

Let's consider PRODUCE QUALITY.

Are you a grower, shipper, retailer, wholesaler, or foodservice provider?

If so, you must have a program in place to ensure your produce maintains a standard. My concern is that most companies have not truly identified their produce standards. Instead, too many rely on more of a notion that their produce should be "Fresh."

We all want "FRESH" produce. Nobody wants wilted romaine lettuce or soft, rubbery zucchini squash--that's a given. However, "freshness" is not a true standard. Standards answer questions like:

• What size / weight do you want your romaine lettuce?
• What length / diameter do you want your zucchini squash?
• At what brix level do you want your cantaloupes?

These are standards and areas that can be set, measured, and reported.

That brings me to another challenge observed in our business: using correct terminology and percentages when reporting produce defects or concerns. We hear a lot of terms like "rotten," "slimy," "tiny," and "huge." We also hear phrases like "a lot of decay" or "most of the ones I looked at" instead of percentages.

A good produce quality inspector uses words to paint a clear and precise "PICTURE" of what we see. Granted, digital photography has allowed us to send detailed pictures of defects.

However, quality assurance reports sent to any interested party, with or without pictures, should clearly identify-or at least clearly describe-the problem.

Here is a sample of an inspection report:

Red Delicious Apples, US Fancy, 3lb bags, 2 ¼ inch diameter:

Average 8% total defects consisting of 4% bitter pit and 4% single stem punctures.

Average - 1% under color

Average - 1% decay. Decay is gray mold rot in early stages.

Meets US Fancy

This sample inspection report is professional, detailed, and precise.

Your supplier probably won't have any questions once he or she receives a report like this.

Quality descriptions involve more than snapshot images. Do you get the "PICTURE?"