The third meeting of the Good Agricultural Practices Harmonization Technical Working Group (TWG) will be held at the Texas Agrilife Extension Center in Weslaco, February 17 and 18. Hosting the meeting will be Dr. Juan Anciso, associate professor and extension vegetable specialist at Texas A&M University.  

TWG Chairman Suresh DeCosta, manager of quality systems, U.S. supply chain management for McDonald's Corporation and Dr. David Gombas, United's senior vice president of food safety and technology look for the meeting to continue and focus the group's efforts to establish common, harmonized audit standards.

"We hope to use the matrix develop by group two to evaluate the remaining audit categories identified by the TWG," said DeCosta.

The purpose of the TWG meetings is to bring together a wide variety of produce stakeholders to harmonize technical food safety standards, and the group is open to all produce industry stakeholders. 

A special lodging rate is available for attendees at the Embassy Suites in nearby McAllen through the group code "TAE," and reservations can be made by clicking here. Texas Agrilife Extension Center will be providing shuttle transportation services to the meetings. For more information, or to get involved with the standardization process, please contact United Fresh Government Relations Assistant Erin Grether at 202-303-3400 ext. 402. 

Upcoming TWG meetings and locations:

• March 10-11, Taco Bell, Irvine, Calif.
• April 7-8, Darden, Orlando, Fla.
• April 19, The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nev., (joint meeting with the Steering Committee)
• May TBD, US Foodservice, Rosemont, Ill.