Grades & Standards

HEALTH RESEARCH

Health research not only reaffirms walnuts' strengths in the key area of heart health, but produces new studies to understand walnuts role in public health, such as cognition, weight management, cancer, and more. This ongoing research gives consumers new reasons to choose walnuts and health professionals and policy makers new reasons to recommend walnuts.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Our goal with industry communications is to increase industry engagement through all means available. While we have continued to increase our communications, we will undertake additional efforts to ensure that our handlers/board members have the tools they need. We will assess opportunities for various types of meetings and communications to ensure that our growers at all levels of industry have the opportunity to be involved. Additionally, we will continue to partner with other organizations that can also spread our message.

ADVOCACY FOR INDUSTRY

By 2022/23, our goal is to further engage with regulators and legislators on industry issues. The scope of this work has increased immensely in recent years. The CWC is more engaged now than ever and continually finding new ways to increase engagement. Through the CWC we will continue to advocate for issues impacting industry and collect data and/or support for those issues. Where appropriate, we will increase engagement with regulators/policy makers to showcase the walnut industry.

SUSTAINABILITY

Demonstrating the industry’s commitment to sustainable practices is essential to our customers and consumers globally. The industry has a strong foundation in the pillars you see here (fig. 1). However, the methods by which we track and report to our stakeholders is critical. We will conduct research among our growers, handlers, and outside partners to better quantify our impacts. In the interim, a working group of industry and staff are developing tools and resources to aid industry in telling our story while producing the data our customers demand.

FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY INSPECTIONS: WHAT TO EXPECT The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed in 2011 to help prevent foodborne illness outbreaks. Under the FSMA rules are the Preventive Controls Rule (PCR) which covers processors/handlers and the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) which covers farms. The PSR is being implemented in stages between 2019 and 2021 depending on farm size. In California, FDA is contracting with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to conduct the on-farm inspections to verify FSMA compliance. CDFA has created the Produce Safety Produce Safety Rule food safety practices on your farm and any documentation that is needed. The grower training need only be taken once. The California Walnut Board (CWB) sponsored complementary grower trainings for the last 3 years. And while CWB has concluded the complementary trainings, CDFA is currently offering low cost, subsidized training courses throughout the state, a list of which can be found here, http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/training.html Growers can also participate in an on-farm readiness review GRADES & STANDARDS Program (PSP) to educate and assist growers in complying inspection, a ‘mock inspection’ if you will, to help them with PSR requirements. understand PSR requirements and get ready for the official inspection. CDFA has clarified that any farm inspection will IMPACT ON WALNUT GROWERS always be announced. If growers wish to receive updates about the Produce Safety program, they can sign up here: All farms covered under the Produce Safety Rule must take http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/mailinglist.html several steps to comply with its requirements. Key steps include at least one farm representative completing an FDArecognized Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course. For additional PSR related questions, growers can also email: producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. This training, in turn, will inform how to implement required (Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture Produce Safety Program: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/)