Twenty years ago, a foodborne illness outbreak changed leafy greens forever. It inspired a new commitment to shared standards, accountability and continuous improvement. Today, that work continues – because food safety is never finished.
servings of leafy greens produced domestically each year
of U.S. grown leafy greens come from LGMA members
audits have verified food safety compliance
From the 2006 spinach outbreak to today’s focus on science, data and continuous improvement, explore key moments that have shaped food safety around California leafy greens.
The 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach demonstrated that meaningful industry-wide change required more than individual company programs—it required common standards, independent verification and shared accountability.
Science-based food safety standards become the industry framework.
Unannounced government audits strengthen independent verification and accountability.
LGMA reaches major milestone: 2,500 government food safety audits conducted since the program began.
LGMA formalizes its commitment to keeping metrics current with emerging research.
LGMA requirements are found to meet or exceed FDA Produce Safety Rule requirements in key areas.
By January 2018, mandatory LGMA government audits were officially recognized as verification of compliance with federal FSMA laws.
Food safety standards continue to evolve alongside new science, regulation and outbreak findings.
Stronger requirements address agricultural water used near harvest.
Major changes strengthen agricultural water and harvest sanitation requirements.
Root cause analysis, adjacent-land assessments and risk-based pre-harvest testing strengthen prevention.
Romaine farmers begin sharing pathogen-testing data collectively to advance industry-wide learning.
Substantial updates including a reorganization of the harvest equipment sanitation standards and a formal requirement for members to undergo LGMA Harvest Equipment Sanitation training. Additional small changes helped to align LGMA standards with FDA’s Produce Safety Water Rule.
A comprehensive review of the LGMA audit process was undertaken to ensure they are risk-based, effective and focused on the most critical elements.
After nearly 20 years of continuous updates and additions, LGMA is undertaking a comprehensive modernization of its Metrics/Standards that reflects two decades of science, operational experience and evolving food safety practices.
Twenty years of learning, science and experience have transformed how food safety is practiced and verified in California’s leafy greens industry. Today’s system reflects what we’ve learned – and a commitment to keep improving as new challenges emerge.
Hear from the people who were there, who helped build the system and shaped its evolution over the past 20 years. Meet those carrying the work forward and continuing the commitment to safer leafy greens.
Two decades of experience have shaped how California’s leafy greens industry approaches food safety today. Explore 20 lessons that reflect what we’ve learned, what has changed and how those lessons continue to guide the work ahead.
The California LGMA established mandatory, science-based food safety practices across the industry in 2007.
Food safety requirements evolve as new research and science emerge.
Mandatory government audits verify compliance—not self-certification.
Every operation documents procedures for preventing and managing food safety risks.
Agricultural water monitoring, testing and assessment have expanded significantly.
Food safety education is ongoing for everyone working in the field.
Accessible handwashing stations and restroom facilities are standard practice.
Fields are evaluated for surrounding risks before harvest.
Animal intrusion is assessed and managed before harvesting begins.
Harvest equipment is routinely cleaned, sanitized and documented.
Improved records allow product to be traced faster throughout the supply chain.
Food safety activities are verified through detailed records and documentation.
When issues occur, investigations focus on preventing future occurrences—not simply correcting today’s problem.
LGMA food safety metrics have been updated repeatedly over the past two decades.
Many operations now employ specialists focused solely on food safety and compliance.
Growers, handlers, researchers and regulators work together to improve food safety.
Ongoing scientific research continually strengthens industry practices.
Food safety decisions are guided by science, data and risk assessment.
Food safety is a shared responsibility across the entire leafy greens supply chain.
Food safety is never finished. Every season brings new knowledge, stronger practices and ongoing improvement.
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Learn how the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement works, why it was created and how nearly 20 years of science, verification and continuous improvement continue to support safer leafy greens.
The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) is a food safety program established in 2007 that requires participating handlers of California-grown leafy greens to follow science-based food safety practices verified through government audits. LGMA brings growers, handlers, scientists, food safety experts and government together around a shared goal: protecting public health by reducing food safety risks in leafy greens production.
LGMA standards address risks throughout growing and harvesting, including agricultural water, environmental conditions, soil amendments, worker practices, sanitation, harvest operations, documentation and traceability.
The California LGMA was created in 2007 following the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach, one of the most significant food safety events in modern produce history. The outbreak demonstrated that meaningful industry-wide change required more than individual company programs—it required common standards, independent verification and shared accountability.
The industry’s response was to create a comprehensive, science-based system designed to evolve as new knowledge emerged.
California leafy greens are produced under one of the world’s most comprehensive commodity-specific food safety systems, designed to prevent and reduce food safety risks. LGMA members produce approximately 55 billion servings of leafy greens each year, and 94% of U.S. leafy greens come from LGMA members.
LGMA members are required to follow science-based food safety practices, with compliance independently verified through government audits. These requirements address risks throughout growing and harvesting—from agricultural water and environmental conditions to worker practices, sanitation and harvest equipment.
No food safety system can guarantee that a food safety issue will never occur. LGMA’s role is to continually reduce risk by applying the best available science, verifying required practices and learning from new research, data and food safety events. That commitment to prevention and continuous improvement supports safer leafy greens today and stronger food safety practices for the future.
The California LGMA helps reduce food safety risk by combining science-based standards, preventive practices, training and independent government verification. Members follow requirements addressing potential risks throughout growing and harvesting, while government audits verify that those practices are being implemented.
The system is also designed to continuously improve. Research, audit data, field experience and lessons learned help strengthen standards, training and practices as food safety science evolves.
The LGMA food safety program connects science, standards, implementation, verification and continuous improvement. Research and data help inform food safety standards; growers, handlers and harvest crews put those requirements into practice; and government auditors independently verify implementation.
Experience and new knowledge then feed back into the system, creating an ongoing cycle:
LGMA members follow science-based food safety standards designed to identify and reduce potential sources of contamination throughout growing and harvesting.
Requirements address interconnected areas of risk including agricultural water, environmental and adjacent-land conditions, soil amendments, worker health and hygiene, field sanitation, harvest equipment and operations, documentation and traceability. Rather than relying on one safeguard, these practices work together as a system of prevention, verification and response.
LGMA audits are conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), with oversight from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This means LGMA certification is not based on industry self-certification.
Government auditors review documentation and practices in the field and during harvest, including agricultural water records, environmental risks, worker food safety practices, sanitation procedures and harvest equipment cleaning.
Every LGMA member is targeted for a minimum of three government audits annually, including at least one unannounced audit during its active harvest season. Operations with longer active seasons may undergo additional audits.
This frequency makes independent verification an ongoing part of leafy greens production rather than a one-time certification event.
LGMA certification requires compliance with all required food safety practices. When deficiencies are identified through an audit, corrective action is required so problems are addressed rather than simply documented.
This process is an important part of LGMA’s accountability model: expectations are established, implementation is independently evaluated, deficiencies are identified and corrected, and lessons can inform future improvement.
Over the past 20 years, California leafy greens food safety has evolved from more variable, company-by-company approaches toward an industry-wide system emphasizing prevention, science, government verification and continuous improvement.
Changes include common science-based standards, mandatory government audits, environmental assessments before harvest, agricultural water testing and risk assessment, ongoing worker training, documented sanitation, improved traceability, root cause investigations and regular revisions to food safety standards.
LGMA standards are designed to evolve as new research, data and real-world experience improve understanding of food safety risk. LGMA draws on research from organizations such as the Center for Produce Safety and USDA and works with university researchers, government agencies and industry experts.
Scientific findings can enter LGMA’s standards-review process, where research is evaluated alongside regulatory requirements, data, subject-matter expertise and operational experience. When evidence supports change, standards can change with it.
Continuous improvement means food safety is never treated as finished. New research, audit findings, testing data, operational experience and lessons from food safety events can all identify opportunities to improve prevention and verification.
The goal is not simply to comply with today’s requirements, but to keep learning and translate new knowledge into stronger standards and practices. As the system evolves, the tools may change, but the principle remains the same: learn, adapt and improve.
The California LGMA covers a broad range of California-grown leafy greens, including commonly purchased products such as romaine, iceberg, green leaf and red leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, chard, arugula, endive, escarole and spring mix, among other leafy greens covered by the program.
LGMA certification gives produce buyers independent verification that a participating California leafy greens handler is operating under LGMA’s required food safety system. Members must comply with LGMA food safety practices and are subject to recurring government audits.
For buyers, that provides documented verification rather than relying on assurances alone. Buyer expectations have also played an important role in reinforcing food safety throughout the supply chain.
LGMA brings together science, government oversight and real-world industry experience to continually improve leafy greens food safety. Growers and handlers contribute operational knowledge; researchers and universities contribute science; regulators provide oversight and technical expertise; buyers reinforce supply-chain expectations; and food safety professionals translate requirements into everyday practices.
This collaboration helps move new knowledge from research → standards → training → implementation → verification, while lessons from the field can inform the next round of research and improvement.
No. Food safety is an ongoing process of identifying risk, applying the best available science, verifying practices and learning from new information. New technologies, research, data and emerging challenges will continue to change how risks are understood and managed.
That is why continuous improvement remains central to LGMA’s approach nearly 20 years after the program was established: the goal remains safer leafy greens, while the practices used to achieve it continue to evolve.