California LGMA marks 20 years of advancing safer leafy greens

Salinas, Calif., Nov. 2, 2026 –  Twenty years ago, a foodborne illness outbreak linked to fresh spinach became a defining moment for California agriculture and the leafy greens industry, shaking consumer confidence across the country.

What followed was a commitment by California leafy greens farmers and handlers to build a new food safety system based on required practices, government verification and continuous improvement.

Today, California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) BB #:210653 members produce over 90% of the leafy greens grown in the United States—more than 50 billion servings annually. California LGMA commemorates 20 years since the spinach outbreak by sharing what has changed, what has been learned and how those lessons continue to advance safer leafy greens.

To mark the milestone, California LGMA has launched SafeLeafyGreens.org, a new 20th anniversary website featuring stories, milestones and resources documenting the evolution of domestic grown leafy greens food safety.

“This milestone isn’t significant simply because 20 years have passed. It’s significant because of the systems for change that have been built during that time,” said Tim York, chief executive officer of California LGMA. “It’s about recognizing the responsibility our industry accepted and the work that has happened every day since.”

Today, LGMA food safety requirements address potential risks throughout growing and harvesting, including agricultural water, environmental assessments, worker practices, harvest sanitation and other areas.

Training helps turn those requirements into everyday practices, while government audits independently verify that members are following required food safety standards.

But one of the most important lessons of the past 20 years is that food safety is not a fixed target with a single endpoint.

New science, research, technology and lessons from food safety incidents continue to inform the evolution of LGMA requirements. The process connects research, standards, training, implementation, verification and improvement, creating a system designed to evolve as the industry learns more.

That continuous-improvement approach is central to LGMA’s anniversary education initiatives, including SafeLeafyGreens.org. The site also features LGMA’s 20 Years of Progress white paper, which takes a closer look at key milestones, advancements and lessons from the past 20 years while exploring how science, industry knowledge, verification and continuous improvement have helped strengthen leafy greens food safety.

The anniversary initiatives will continue throughout the next six months with additional content focused on lessons learned, buyer confidence, innovation and the future of leafy greens food safety.

Twenty years provides an opportunity to recognize progress, but it is not a finish line. “We know more today than we did 20 years ago, and we expect to know more tomorrow than we do today,” York said. “That’s what continuous improvement means. Our responsibility is to keep learning and keep putting that knowledge to work to advance safer leafy greens.”

For more information about California LGMA’s 20-year initiative and to read the full white paper, visit SafeLeafyGreens.org.

About California LGMA

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) is a food safety program created in 2007 to help protect public health by establishing required food safety practices for participating leafy greens handlers. LGMA members are required to comply with science-based food safety standards, with compliance verified through government audits. The program is committed to continuous improvement as science, research and industry knowledge evolve.

Contact:

Melinda Goodman / FullTilt Marketing

414-469-5524 / melinda@fulltiltmarketing.net