PURPOSE and HISTORY

The processors and producers requested a neutral third party inspection to ensure that the processors get the best quality for the price, and producers get the best price for the quality. Mandatory inspections began in 1941 with the CDFA sampling, inspecting and certifying or rejecting all loads of processing tomatoes in the state. Since then, our neutral, third party inspection has served the industry as the legal description of every load of tomatoes processed in California. In 1969 the legislature authorized the Director to appoint five producers and five processors to a Canning Tomato Advisory Committee. In 1987 the industry voted to become an independent Marketing Order.