Taylor Farms, a leading grower-shipper of leafy greens, based in Salinas, CA, announced March 26 that it will require the treatment of open source water prior to use in overhead irrigation of leafy green products, effective May 1.

In a letter to its grower-partners signed by President Mark Borman, the company cited two instances last year whereby Romaine lettuce was linked to illnesses and deaths caused by E. coli pathogens, causing Romaine lettuce markets to be shut down.

“The tragic illnesses and persistent negative publicity surrounding these events has eroded the confidence in the healthy products the leafy greens industry produces every day and draws attention away from food safety advancements made by many members of the leafy greens industry,” the letter read.

Taylor said open source water was identified as a meaningful risk factor by FDA traceback work and industry research. More specifically, it said that research has shown that untreated water, coupled with overhead irrigation techniques, “can prove to be a synergistic combination for the growth and transmission of certain harmful pathogens. Fortunately, this risk can be mitigated through on-site treatment of water, for organisms of concern, prior to usage.”

As a result, Taylor said that effective May 1 it would only source product from leafy greens growers that take the additional step of treating water coming from or distributed through open sources prior to use in overhead irrigation.

“The success of our industry is dependent on the industry delivering safe and wholesome products,” the letter stated. “This is a critical next step.”