The Wegmans approach to Food Safety and our Local Growers Wegmans Food Markets Inc. Rochester, New York

• Currently operate 97 stores in 6 states, expanding to 7th-North Carolina in Spring 2019

• 48000 employees

• Opening 98th Store in September 2018 Our 98th Store….. Welcome Lancaster to the Wegmans Family! Wegmans has a long history of supporting our Local, “Near our Stores” growers Local – Near Our Store -HOMEGROWN!

• Partnering with over 200 local growers

• Direct store deliveries daily

• Farm Call Outs

• Meet the Grower Days throughout the season

Wegmans Produce – Shouting LOCAL Wegmans commitment to Organic growing has led to development of Wegmans Partner Farm program ……..making Organic growing a viable East Coast option for many of our growers… Gingerich Farms

Ben Schwartz Partner Farms

Honeysuckle Hill Farm

Amy Cimino- Partner Farm Merchant

VerWulst Tomatoes Tremendous Presence of Partner Farm Product Kreher Family Farms & Duncan Family Farms Brockport- NY Wegmans Organic Farm and Orchard Wegmans Produce Food Safety commitment to our over 200 Local Growers…..

• Make it safe

• Keep it simple

• Help remove the financial burden

• Provide training and support

Why did we get started…

• Concern about food safety and small growers led to working with Cornell University and the National GAPS Program

• Did first training sessions in January 2005

• Focus was on growers in NY state

• Wasn’t always received with open arms…

We began with Basic GAPs Training

• GAPs training for local growers…2004/2005

• Working with the National GAPs program at Cornell, land-grant universities, USDA, Cooperative Extension and state Depts. of Agriculture

A Suggestion Became a Requirement

• In July 2006, Wegmans sent letter to our local growers informing them that GAPs would be required to do business with us • In Winter of 2007, we collaborated with Rutgers University and the USDA, and expanded training to growers in New Jersey • GAPs required for certain items in 2008-( lettuce, leafy greens, tomatoes, herbs, green onions, cantaloupe) Major Outbreak in 2011 • Listeria in cantaloupes grown in Colorado

• 125 people sick, with at least 34 deaths

• The deadliest outbreak in the last decade

• Much bigger than spinach ‘06, salmonella ’08

• Wegmans received tainted product from distributor What changed?

• Limited items stores could purchase from local distributors and suppliers • High risk items had to come from a Wegmans distribution center • We decided that all fresh produce items needed to have GAPs documentation… • About this time , GAPs Harmonization was developing-one single standard that all buyers would accept

Progression of Wegmans Food Safety Audit Requirements

• Standard USDA GAPs (GAP & GHP) (2008) to….2010 -spinach outbreak - started with requirements on items considered highest risk - Jensen Farms cantaloupe/listeria • Harmonized USDA GAPs(2011-2016) - required corrective actions to be completed

• Harmonized USDA GAPs w/ Field OP and Post Harvest (2016) to present…….. -get growers used to pack-house inspections/Produce Rule Wegmans Grower refunds for Produce Food Safety audits

• 2008-2016- We refunded Local Growers $500 to help cover the costs associated with their audits

• 2016 to present- Increased refund amount to $600 to help cover cost of Post Harvest section of USDA Harmonized audit

Wegmans Audit Refund Policy for 2018

- For all Growers partnering with Wegmans for first year we will offer a $500 refund to offset costs of standard USDA GAP and GHP Audit upon receiving audit and certificate.

- No refund for Standard audit after first year-

- Use as stepping stone to USDA Harmonized Audit

Wegmans Audit Refund Policy, Cont.’

- By second year of doing business with Wegmans , Growers will be asked to graduate up to the USDA Harmonized Audit

- Complete both the Field Operations and Harvest segment AND Post- Harvest Segment

- If Food Safety audit is not current or up to date- grower’s Buying page on Wegmans W-Buy system is turned off until new audit submitted USDA Harmonized GAPs and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule - Betsy Bihn (Produce Safety Alliance)- • “Hope is that USDA Harmonized Audits and FDA Produce Rule requirements align under 1 audit by 2018-2019 • USDA Harmonized Gap audits aligned with Produce Safety Rule in June ,2018 -all relevant technical components in P.S.R. covered in USDA H.GAP program

• USDA Harmonized GAPs Plus audit receives GFSI technical equivalence (August ,2018)

Wegmans Audit Refund Policy cont.’

• The following audit schemes will continued to be accepted as well…. - Primus GFS , Global GAP, Quality Fresh Harmonized , SQF- Level 2, Equicert Harmonized

• Starting in 2018- One Farm- One audit policy - Group Gaps accepted for start up Co-ops only

Grower trainings and FSMA compliance

• Wegmans started offering Produce Food Safety trainings to Local grower in New York in 2004/05

• Currently offer yearly food safety trainings In all 6 states and soon in North Carolina

-Produce Safety Alliance, Cornell, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass, MDAR, Virginia Tech and Univ. of Maryland & Extension associates from all 6 states - PMA, USDA , Center for Produce Safety, Institute for Food Safety, NYSDAM.

• Provide meal and meeting place, training and certificates

2018 New York State Grower training –over 100 attendees from 68 farms…. 2018 Produce Safety Training agenda…

• 9:15 – 9:45 am FSMA Produce Safety Rule Update • Betsy Bihn, Director, Produce Safety Alliance • • 9:45 – 10:15 am Water Sampling and Analysis Research in NY> • Lindsay Springer, Extension Support Specialist, IF • 10:45– 11: 15 am Listeria Monocytogenes Control • Martin Wiedmann, Professor, Cornell University • 11:15 – 11:45 am Sanitary Design for Packinghouses> • Beth Demmings, Coordinator, IFS@CU • 11:45 - 12:15 pm Block Chain Traceability Process • Steve Strub, Wegmans • 1:15 – 1:45 pm FSMA Inspection Update and On Farm Readiness Reviews • Jen Trodden, Deputy Director of Agriculture, NYSDAM • 1:45 – 2:15 pm Update on USDA Harmonized Audit • Jennifer Dougherty, USDA

FSMA Produce Rule Grower Food Safety Trainings • Wegmans sponsored Produce Safety Alliance grower Produce Safety trainings in all 6 states in 2017.

• Wegmans covered cost of training and materials as well as cost of AFDO certificate for all growers who attended and completed the course.

• Able to get 138 of our growers certified as completing this training in the first quarter of 2017. Wegmans Local Growers Policies- a look to….. Concerns……..

• Continue to Develop sense of Food Safety culture with our Local growers - Not just a “We passed the audit” ,Good for another year” attitude • Find time for more on farm visits

• Small New England states developing their own state audits to attempt to satisfy both the P.S.R. and buyer audit requirements

What will continue???

• Annual Produce Food Safety Audit requirement USDA Harmonized GAPs or USDA Harmonized GAPs Plus?

• Annual Produce Grower Food Safety Trainings

• Annual Grower audit refunds

• Our commitment to our Local Growers and Food Safety Questions or Comments Are Welcomed Thank You!!!