Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1159340
19 showing lower levels of aflatoxin, indicating better overall crop quality. "Aflatoxin levels in this year's crop are trending lower, and with tighter screening, we have seen a reduction in the number of rejections in the EU compared to last year," Birmingham said. Still, Almond Board experts urge continued diligence to avoid a repeat of 2017 and 2018, when poor weather and other factors led to increased insect damage and more rejected shipments. "We're not out of the woods yet," Birmingham said. "We have to maintain these tighter controls while we have a crop that has higher insect damage than our 10-year historical average." The Almond Board has worked with European Commission officials to ensure they understand the PEC program and the challenges associated with both aflatoxin testing and import inspection practices. "We've continued to stay engaged with the Commission, letting them know what we're doing to address the situation," said Julie Adams, vice president of Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs for the Almond Board. "Our goal is that in the near term, we'll see a return to the less- than-1-percent level of inspection in the EU. But with a few rejections this year, we have to demonstrate that we are still being vigilant." Advances toward improved Japan export environment As things improve in Europe, ABC continues efforts to address challenges in another important market: Japan. Japan reportedly tests all incoming shipments, increasing the likelihood that a shipment could be held at the port. "For a number of years, almonds have been subject to higher testing in Japan," Adams said. "Your exposure is much higher with that level of testing. The difficulty in the Japanese market is that there is no protocol for retesting or reprocessing the almonds. You don't have a way to rework that consignment or appeal the decision." Rejected shipments present a costly risk for exporters, particularly in years like 2018 when crop quality contributed to more Japanese-held consignments. Sampling and testing procedures utilized by Japanese port authorities introduce further variability in results. "The Japanese approach does not recognize the testing conducted at origin, which makes it difficult to move forward with a system similar to what we have established in Europe," Adams said. ABC has been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service to build better understanding among Japanese authorities of the systems California almond growers and handlers have in place to preserve food safety, but Adams cautioned that such efforts take time, consistent effort and attention to detail. "It's a long game," Adams said. "We are trying to move things along as quickly as possible, but it takes time to get complex issues resolved, particularly when it involves a change in the way a foreign government applies their regulations." Lower tolerances, fewer rejections According to Dr. Thomas B. Whitaker, formerly of USDA's Agricultural Research Service and a world-renowned expert on mycotoxins in agricultural crops, the solution in heavy rejection years is to be prepared and not wait for more shipments to be turned away. If warning signs (such as higher levels of insect damage, bad weather or poor quality) show up, Whitaker advises quick action. A key strategy during rough years is to test shipments at a lower tolerance; this greatly reduces the chances that shipments will be rejected overseas and gives the handler options to manage the quality on this side of the Pacific through additional processing or seeking alternate markets. This strategy is precisely what the ABC Board of Directors decided in April 2018, when they lowered the tolerance for aflatoxin in the PEC program. As this strategy continues to pay off, the almond industry is hoping to add long-term, consistent reductions in aflatoxin-related shipment rejections to its list of successes in food safety, with the ultimate goal of continuing to provide the world with a nutritious nut that's grown and processed responsibly.