USDA’s fresh produce chief will join the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help develop new food safety rules, as part of a cooperative initiative between the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Today’s announcement comes amid beefed up outreach efforts with key agriculture and safe food stakeholders to better share and exchange produce safety “best practices” and ideas.

Leanne Skelton, chief of the fresh products branch of the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), has extensive experience in the fruit and vegetable industry through her 22 years with the branch working in inspections, grading and certification, standardization, training, and in managing the Branch’s financial and information technology activities. Skelton will be on detail with the FDA for six months as she helps the FDA develop new safety regulations for produce.

Through the initiative, FDA is gathering information from the fresh produce industry, including small and organic farmers, and seeking feedback concerning how the new safety regulations may effect their businesses and lives. In addition, USDA and FDA officials have been traveling together to meet with farmers and local food safety officials. Most recently, the FDA and USDA visited farms in North Carolina and will soon visit Florida.

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