good agricultural practices educational program...single food categories implicated in foodborne...

Good Agricultural Practices Educational Program

Funded By: The Ohio Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Grant

© The Ohio State University: This material cannot be altered, or distributed without permission

Our Audience

Your primary market is.. • Wholesale/Large Quantity

• Produce Auction • Grocery Chains

• Small Scale/Retail • Farmers’ Markets • Roadside Stand

• Other

Who motivated you to attend this GAPs training?

• Self-motivated • Market/Auction manager • Buyer • Farm manager • 3rd party auditor • Other

What does produce safety mean to you?

From our perspective..

Grow, Harvest,

Handle and Pack Produce

Safely ID Risks & Fix

Store, Handle, &

Ship food properly

ID Risks & Fix

Handle produce

properly ID Risks & Fix

Prepare food

properly ID Risks & Fix

Who is responsible for safe produce?

Farm Distributor Retailer Consumer

Why is produce safety such a big concern?

Data Provided By Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Single Food Categories Implicated in Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, 2009–2013, n=867

Fish 17%

Dairy 11%

Beef 9%

Mollusks 9%

Chicken 8%

Vegetable row crops 7%

Pork 7%

Fruits 7%

Turkey, 4%

Grains-Beans 4%

Seeded vegetables 3%

Eggs 3%

Other 11%

“Other” includes Crustacean (6, <1%), Fungus (11, 1%), Game (9, 1%), Oil-sugars (3, <1%), Root and other underground vegetables (14, 2%), Other meat (5, <1%), Herbs (2, <1%), Other aquatic animals (4, <1%), and Other foods (19, 2%)

Data are preliminary and may change.

Increase in production and consumption of tomato in US 1990-2010

0.0

1,000.0

2,000.0

3,000.0

4,000.0

5,000.0

6,000.0

7,000.0Total supplyDomestic ProductionConsumptionImportExport

Source: Prepared form data provided and calculated by USDA, Economic Research Service; http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/VGS/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/VGS/

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500Total SupplyDomestic productionDomestic consumptionExportImport

Increase in production and consumption of lettuce in US 1990-2007

Source: Prepared form data provided and calculated by USDA, Economic Research Service; http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/VGS/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/VGS/

How does produce safety affect you? As a grower selling to the public:

• You are responsible for providing a safe product to the consumer

• Buyers have heightened expectations of you • Produce safety begins on the farm and affects your

bottom line

Legal Ramifications

• Our primary focus: Growing, Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling of Produce AKA Produce Safety Rule

• Rule covers produce commonly consumed raw • “aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by

shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it” (fda.gov/FSMA)

Farm Size for Produce Safety Rule • Exempt Farms = <$25,000 • Very Small Farms = $25,000-$250,000 • Small Farms= $250,000-$500,000 • All Other Farms= $500,000 + Net sales of food on a rolling 3 year average

Compliance Dates For covered activities after the effective date*: • Very Small Farms (4yrs): January 26, 2020 • Small Farms (3yrs): January 26, 2019 • All Other Covered Farms (2yrs): January

26, 2018 *For certain aspects of water quality standards, related testing and recordkeeping provisions: • Allow additional two years

A Little Microbiology

Bacteria: • Too small to see • Can live in many environments • Reproduces independently • Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria

Viruses: • Smaller than bacteria! • Require a host to replicate • Norovirus, Hepatitis A

Parasites: • Organisms live in a host • Often waterborne • Intestinal worms or

protozoan organisms most common

• Cyclospora

A Virus • Norovirus causes more foodborne illness

than all other viruses, bacteria, and parasites combined (foodsafety.gov)

• Alias: • Montezuma’s Revenge • 24 hour flu • Food poisoning • Stomach bug

Most common culprit…

Why is Norovirus the most common cause of foodborne illness?

• Spreads easily

• It can be transferred from surfaces to hands and then

up to 7 new surfaces • Survives high temperatures (140F)

• You remain contagious for up to 3 days after

symptoms subside

Pathogen Can it grow in food?

Where can it come from?

How many cells does it take?

What’s the worst that can happen?

Salmonella spp. Yes Humans Animals

10-100,000 Reactive arthritis

E. coli O157:H7 Yes Humans Animals

10-1,000 Kidney Failure

Listeria monocytogenes

Yes Humans Animals

10 Fever, Muscle Aches, Miscarriage

Hepatitis A virus No Humans 10-100

Jaundice, liver disease

Norovirus No Humans <10 Gastro-enteritis

Under the right conditions, bacteria multiply very quickly!

• 8 AM 1 cell • 9 AM 4 cells • 10 AM 16 cells • 11 AM 64 cells • 12 PM 256 cells • 1 PM 1024 cells • 2 PM 4096 cells • 3 PM 16,384 cells • 4 PM 65,536 cells • 5 PM 262,144 cells • 6 PM 1,048,576 cells

The Population at Greater Risk

Highest risk…

• Children < 5 yrs

• Adults > 65 yrs

• Pregnant

• Immune suppressed: 10 million in U.S. (3.6% U.S.) (source: Kahn 2008)

There were 3,932,181 births in 2013 in the US (Source: US census)

14.1% of US population in 2013 (source: US census quickfacts)

6.3% of US population in 2013 (source: US census quickfacts)

Recent Outbreaks

• 2015 Cyclospora (parasite) Outbreaks from bagged lettuce and cilantro

• 2013 Hep. A (virus) Outbreak from frozen berries • 2016 Salmonella (bacteria) Outbreak from

cucumbers • 2011 Listeria (bacteria) Outbreak from cantaloupe

• Jensen Bros

Q: How many people have to get sick to

declare an outbreak has occurred?

A: ≥2

“When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the

event is called a foodborne outbreak.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Routes of Contamination Equipment, Tools & Buildings

Soil Amendments

Develop A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

• For each Route of Contamination, you will have at least one SOP

• Do not make them more difficult than you can achieve

• They are specific to your operation

Land Use Risk Assessment

Good Recordkeeping Habits

“If you didn’t write it down, you didn’t do it”

No farm policies, no record logs, no SOPs

Some policies, logs, & SOPs

Up to date farm policies, record logs, & SOPs

HIGH

LOW

Water, 2 Different Standards

Water Source: Open Surface

Risks can exist off of your property Don’t forget to think of risks of runoff, drift, animals, and other contaminants from: •Neighbors •Neighboring farms •Nearby industry •Upstream •Uphill

Floodwater • Assessing surface water is also important when your fields

are affected by flooding • Flooding is when water flows out of control, which differs

from “pooling” • Floodwater often comes from a location uphill/upstream and

carries with it everything it has passed over

VS

Flooding Pooling

Flooding Scenario 1

• A grower had tomato fields that flooded, and he asked

if the fruit that were under water would be safe from a microbial standpoint. He is not sure what is upstream from his farm. Specifically, he wanted to know if there was a waiting period until the produce would be safe to sell.

• What do you think?

Flooding Scenario 2

• A grower’s tomato field flooded and the lower fruits

came in contact with the flood water. He wants to know if he is able to can them and eat them or sell them to a processor.

• What do you think?

Floodwater

• When floodwater comes in contact with harvestable portion of the crop, that fruit or vegetable must not enter the food market • Floodwater does not contact edible portion of crop, use risk

assessment • What was uphill? • Splash risk? • What risk are you willing to take? • We recommend, “When in doubt, throw it out”

• There is no approved way to fix flood-affected produce

Irrigation Systems

• Types of irrigation systems include:

• Drip irrigation: applies water directly to soil and reduces water usage

• Overhead irrigation: direct application method. Does not conserve water like drip irrigation

Water, Pre-Harvest, Irrigation High

Low Overhead irrigation using surface water (pond, stream) or cracked/

improperly maintained well

Drip irrigation, surface water

Overhead irrigation using municipal or maintained,

functioning well

Drip irrigation, municipal/well water, under plastic

What irrigation method/water source is highest risk? Lowest risk?

Agricultural Water, Indirect Application

No standard exists at this time for: • Water used on growing produce that does not come in

contact with the harvestable portion of the crop • i.e. drip irrigation, furrow irrigation, etc.

• Be mindful of root crops commonly eaten raw

Agricultural Water, Direct Application

Water directly applied to growing produce should adhere to these values:

• Geometric Mean (GM) ≤126 Colony Forming

Units (CFU) generic E. coli / 100mL water • Statistical Threshold Value (STV) ≤410 CFU

generic E. coli / 100mL water

Agricultural Water, Direct Application

• FDA intends to provide guidance documents • Tools will become available to help with

implementation as well

• Regardless of water source or application method, it is important to test agricultural water and understand what the test results mean.

• Regular testing will establish a baseline for your

water quality

• If test results comes back higher than normal, try to determine the cause (i.e.- dead animal in pond, damaged well)

Results should indicate E. coli count, not just presence/absence

Water used during and after harvest= no detectable generic E. coli

Water, No detectable generic E. coli • No detectable generic E. coli (<1 on test

results) allowed when it is likely that microbes, if present, would be transferred to produce through direct or indirect contact

• Hand-washing • Water used on food contact surfaces • Water directly applied to produce

during or after harvest • Includes ice

Water, Post-Harvest, Sanitizers

• Consider sanitizer use for post-harvest activities

• Prevent cross-contamination that can

occur through water • Recycled water must include sanitizers

Produce Safety Alliance. Module 4.2: Postharvest Water Preventive Controls. Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives. p14.


• Sanitizers must be EPA approved for use in fresh produce

• Food contact surfaces: Germicidal Clorox • FCS & direct contact with produce: SaniDate or

tsunami 100

Directions for Sanitizing

For food contact surfaces: Product: 2 tsp (1/3 oz.) Water: 1 gallon Instructions: Wash, rinse, wipe surface area with bleach solution for at least 2 minutes, let air-dry.

https://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-germicidal-bleach-concentrated/#Cleaning%20&%20Disinfecting%20Product-Clorox®%20Germicidal%20Bleach%20ID-53-Sanitizing

SaniDate 5.0

• Use SaniDate 5.0 in dump tank and line spray applications.

• Apply as a dip or spray wash to control growth of microorganisms.

• OMRI listed for organic production.

http://www.biosafesystems.com/product-ph-sanidate5.html

POST HARVEST TREATMENTS

Use SaniDate 5.0 for the treatment of waters used in the handling, processing, packing or storage of raw fruits and vegetables. SaniDate 5.0 may also be used to control the growth of spoilage and decay causing bacterial and fungal diseases on post harvest fruits and vegetables. For post harvest applications, fruits and vegetables can be sprayed or submerged in the resulting solution for a minimum contact time of 45 seconds, followed by adequate draining.

http://www.biosafesystems.com/assets/sanidate-5.0-specimen-label.pdf

SaniDate 5.0 Label


• Sanitizer effectiveness depends on several items, such as: • Water pH • Water temperature • Turbidity • Water hardness

Module 4.2: Postharvest Water Preventive Controls, Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives, Produce Safety Alliance p14

Water, Post-Harvest, Infiltration

• Water Temperature & Infiltration

Bartz, Showalter. 1981. Infiltration of Tomatoes by Aqueous Bacterial Suspensions. Am.Phytopath.Soc. 71:5: 515-518 Osborne DJ, Sanders DC, and Ward DR. 2002. Good Agricultural Practices for the Production and Handling of Tomatoes. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Sept. 2002.

• Water should be within 10°F of produce

• When fruit is submerged, water should be warmer than the produce

• Pulpy fruits are higher risk • Ex: Tomatoes

Biological Soil Amendments

Biological Soil Amendments • Soil amendments can contaminate produce

• Raw or improperly composted manure may contain pathogens

• Pathogen transfer can occur in fields or water sources, which may contact produce

• Studies show human pathogens can survive in

soil for extended period of time

Raw Manure Time Intervals

Manual 2: USDA National Organic Program Standards. http://www.ccof.org/pdf/US%20National%20Organic%20Standards.pdf Ingham SC, Fanslau MA, Engel RA, Breuer JR, Breuer JE, Wright TH, Reith-Rozelle JK, and Zhu J. 2005. Evaluation of fertilization-to-planting and fertilization-to-harvest intervals for safe use of noncomposted bovine manure in Wisconsin vegetable production. J. Food Prot. 68: 1134-1142.

National Organic Program FDA’s Produce Safety Rule

Incorporate 120 days before harvest when edible portion likely to contact manure

TBD once more research and risk assessment is completed FDA will not object to farmers complying with NOP standards

Incorporate 90 days before harvest when edible portion not likely to contact manure

TBD once more research and risk assessment is completed FDA will not object to farmers complying with NOP standards

http://www.ccof.org/pdf/US%20National%20Organic%20Standards.pdf

The final rule requires: Untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin must be applied in a manner that does not contact covered produce during application and minimizes chance of contact with covered produce after application

Raw Manure Considerations

• Prior land use: • Was current field used as livestock pasture

prior to fruit/vegetable production? • Apply raw manure guidelines

• Adjacent land use- what’s beside you could pose a risk via run-off/drift • Dairy cattle in pasture • Hogs in confined barn • Deer in woods

Produce Safety Alliance. Module 2: Soil Amendment Preventive Controls. Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives. p10.

Image-NRCS

Proper Compost Time Intervals

National Organic Program FDA’s Produce Safety Rule

Does not specify pre-harvest interval

• Is applied in a manner that minimizes potential for contact with produce during and after application

Composting Methods: 1. Static Composting: Has to maintain aerobic

conditions at 131-170°F for 3 consecutive days followed by adequate curing

2. Turned Composting: Has to maintain aerobic conditions at 131-170°F for 15 days with a minimum of 5 turnings and is followed by adequate curing

Windrow Composting, OCAMM Manual 2: USDA National Organic Program Standards. http://www.ccof.org/pdf/US%20National%20Organic%20Standards.pdf Dougherty, M. 1999. Field Guide to On-Farm Composting. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. NRAES-114

Static Aerated Pile, Extension.org

http://www.ccof.org/pdf/US%20National%20Organic%20Standards.pdf

Backyard Composting Units

• On ground, rotating drum, etc. still need high temperatures for extended periods of time for pathogen die-off

• Resource: Cornell Waste Management Institute Factsheet:

cwmi.css.cornell.edu/compostingathome.pdf

Storage Requirements • Store manure downhill and away from fruit and

vegetable production

• Cover compost and keep on surface to prevent leachate • Compost leachate = raw manure

• Keep raw manure and compost separate to prevent cross contamination

Produce Safety Alliance. Module 2: Soil Amendment Preventive Controls. Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives. p10.

Distance Considerations

Raw Manure: -Manure from livestock, manure containment structures, and storage piles should be at least: - 400 ft from produce fields and handling sites - 200 ft from well heads - Safe distance from surface water source: 100 ft in sandy soil, 200 ft in clay/loam, 300 ft if slope >6%

On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments– v5 7/16/2014; Figures derived from the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement

Distance Considerations

Compost: -Store at least 30 ft from produce fields and 80 ft from water source -Composting facilities should be at least 400 ft from produce fields and handling sites

On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments– v5 7/16/2014; Figures derived from the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement

Soil Amendment FAQ Q: Is vermicompost ok to use?

• A: Per FDA- Vermicompost is ok as long as it provides equivalent microbial reduction similar to approved compost methods. Refer to validated studies when using this type of compost.

Q: Does aquaculture/aquaponics fall under soil amendments? • A: Per FDA- These systems would typically fall under

pre-harvest water standards, unless the fish emulsion was directly applied to the soil.

Produce Safety Alliance, Produce Safety Educator’s Meeting #3: November, 18, 2013

Soil Amendment Risk Assessment

LOW

Improper compost

Proper compost

Commercial fertilizers

Compost Teas

Raw manure

HIGH List soil amendments from highest to lowest risk

Nothing is 100% risk-free

Worker Health, Hygiene & Training

Worker Health, Hygiene & Training

• Workers can transfer pathogens when handling fresh produce via saliva or feces

• Workers are always in contact with produce and food contact surfaces

• Training employees on food safety practices is a must!

Worker Training • Before the growing season starts, every worker should

be trained on: • Health • Hygiene • Good handling practices

• Volunteers must also receive training

Start with Clean Hands

Germs from an unwashed hand

Start with Clean Hands • Clean hands are always important, but workers should

be trained to properly wash hands:

• Before starting work • Before entering produce field • Before entering packing house • After lunch or break • After using restroom • After handling contaminated product • & as needed

Start with Clean Hands • How do you properly wash hands to reduce risk of

contamination?

Dirty hand, not washed


contamination?

Hand washed 20 seconds, water only


contamination?

Hand washed 5 seconds, water and soap


contamination?

Hand washed 20 seconds, water and soap


contamination?

Hand washed 20 seconds, water and soap, then hand sanitizer

Hand Sanitizer

Sanitizers do not work effectively when applied to visibly dirty hands and should not be used as a substitute for soap and water

BEFORE AFTER

Hand Washing Risk Assessment HIGH

LOW

Dirty hands, not washed

Wash hands 20s, water only

Wash hands 20s, soap + water

Disposable gloves worn on properly washed hands

Dirty hands with sanitizer

Where do each of these hand washing techniques fit in the continuum?

University of Nebraska Extension & Nebraska Dept of Health

Start with Clean Hands

• Include documentation in record book • Use as tool when standards are not being followed

(sometimes you have to be the bad guy)

• “John, I noticed you did not wash your hands after using the restroom. Before the season started, you signed an agreement stating that you were trained on proper hand washing techniques and when it was necessary to wash your hands. Please follow our policy to help us keep our produce safe.”

• This can be tough to address, but the ultimate goal

is to provide the public with safe produce!

Hand Washing Stations

Stations come in all different shapes and sizes. You can also make an inexpensive station at home!

Gray Water Disposal • If you do not use a sanitation company that can

remove gray water, Ohio Dept. of Health suggests:

• Catch basin with hose connected to sewage line

• Dispose at fairgrounds or campgrounds with appropriate RV waste removal

• Utility floor drains • For smaller amounts, flush down toilet or

pour down mop sink drain

Never pour down storm drain Contact local health dept. for more info

Worker Clothing

• Clothing should be appropriate for the activity the worker is doing

• Clean or change field clothes prior to entering packinghouse

• Avoid wearing jewelry in packinghouse

Worker Clothing

• Avoid handling raw manure before working in production areas where fresh produce is present

• Provide clean aprons, gloves and boots for packinghouse

Restroom Facilities

• Best practices for restroom facilities: • Workers should have access to a restroom within a 10

minute walk • 1 restroom per 20 workers • Men and women • Hand washing station available • Restroom and hand washing station supply levels

maintained and replenished regularly • Keep a clipboard with log sheet nearby to record

restroom cleaning and sanitation

Restroom Facilities • Document and retain records:

• Date • Time • Restock supplies • Clean facility • Additional notes • Signature • Etc.

Restroom facility SOP and recordkeeping should meet the

needs of your farm

Sanitation Facility SOP When writing a Sanitation SOP, write what

makes sense for your operation:

-3 workers on farm, clean & restock facilities weekly

Vs.

-50 workers on farm, clean & restock facilities

once or twice every day

Restroom Facilities

• Restroom in house

is ok • Outside facilities

should not pose a risk of contamination

What’s wrong here?

Restroom Usage

• Migrant/seasonal employees may not be accustomed to our sanitation practices and should be trained on how to properly use the restroom

• Use facility for urination and defecation- do not

do this outside of restroom facility • Sit on toilet seat, do not stand on seat • Place used toilet paper inside the toilet, not

beside the toilet or in a trash can

Illness and Injury • Who should avoid working in the field and packing

shed? • Workers who show symptoms of illness (i.e.

frequent restroom breaks) • Workers with open wounds

• What are their options? • Send home or give other responsibilities

• Painting, lawn care, etc. • Bandage wound and cover with glove if

possible

Illness and Injury, Clean Hands

• Proper hand washing is especially important in the event of illness and/or injury

• Use same method mentioned earlier: • 20 seconds with soap, single use towel, etc.

Injury, First Aid

• First Aid kits should be well stocked and readily available on the produce farm. • Keep documentation

• How would you address an injury in the produce field?

Addressing Field Injury

• Stop harvest, notify supervisor & administer first aid on injured worker

• Mark/flag off field where injury occurred:

• Blood on produce? • Dispose immediately because it’s

adulterated

• Make record of incident • If injury is minor: clean, bandage, cover and resume

work

Illness and Injury, First Aid Date Employee Event Action taken Date return to

work signature

7/20/2013 Joe Smith Cabbage field 1 Finger injury

Harvest stopped, supervisor notified Wound cleaned, bandaged, and gloved. Any bloody produce is disposed of.

Same day Jane Smith

8/13/2013 Ann Smith Stomach Flu Sent Home. Any produce contacted before sent home destroyed

With doctors note or 24 hours after symptoms subside

Jane Smith

• Keep record of illnesses and injuries • Develop SOP for handling and reporting injuries • Develop SOP for disposal of produce that came in contact with

blood • Have signage posted for : emergency contacts, nearest

hospital, etc.

Wildlife and Domestic Animals

Wildlife and Domestic Animals • Domestic and wild animals can transmit pathogens to

produce • Most commonly via contaminated feces • Includes potential runoff from livestock grazing or

housed nearby

• Perform pre-harvest review of crop and field to check for animal intrusion or contamination

• No animals allowed in packing house/ production areas near harvest

Produce Safety Alliance. Module 3: Wildlife and Domestic Animal Preventive Controls. Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives. p11.

Domestic, Working Animals • Consider writing guidelines for animals who work in

fields • Horses should not be in growing crop rows within 7

days of harvest • Horses limited to driveways during

harvest season • Driveways min 10ft wide and

seeded with grass when laying plastic mulch

• Avoid handling both horse + produce

• Write policy for manure disposal

R. Yoder. Farm Food Safety Plan. Guidelines and Procedures. p7-9

Non-Working Animals • All other wild and domestic, non-working animals are

prohibited from entering the produce field and packing areas

• Look for signs of intrusion or contamination prior to harvest • Damaged produce, tracks, feces, etc.

• Do not harvest produce with fecal contamination

Comingling Domestic & Working Animals

• Recent study revealed horses rarely carry E. coli O157:H7(Lengacher et al 2010)

• The exception – E. coli O157:H7 was found in

manure from a horse that was housed with ruminants

Animal Intrusion • How do you get rid of animals in field?

• Fencing • Noise deterrents • Decoys • Netting on packing shed

• Consider food safety and natural habitat carefully • Destroying woods that borders produce field would have

a large & negative environmental burden • Plant lower risk produce in that field?

Fecal Contamination in Field • Scenario:

• A worker told you that the neighbor’s cows were in the tomato field this morning. You planned to have the field harvested that day.

-What should you do? Remember: -Cattle can transmit E coli. O157:H7 -Most tomatoes are commonly eaten raw and can grow low to the ground. -We want to provide safe produce to our customers!

Fecal Contamination in Field

• 1) Get cows out of field! • 2) Look over entire field for tomatoes with

manure on or nearby • 3) Flag off fecal contaminated tomato

plants • 4) Create buffer zone around affected

produce • 5) Do not harvest any tomatoes inside

buffer zone

Fecal Contamination in Field

• 6) Re-inspect harvested tomatoes to make sure they are not contaminated

• 7) Remove manure and damaged crop from field and properly dispose of it

• 8) Clean and sanitize all equipment and tools used to remove contamination

• 9) Record event and keep in record book

Considerations..

• Buffer zones should have ≥ 5 ft radius • If fecal contamination/animal intrusion is too

extensive, do not harvest field and/or disk crop into soil

Buffer zone from California LGMA

Equipment, Tools and Buildings


• Understand movement of produce from field to packing

• Bins and tools used to harvest

• Do they pose risk of cross contamination? • Do you begin harvest every day with bins and

tools that are in clean and sanitary condition?


• Food contact surfaces

• Were surfaces clean and sanitary before produce came in contact?

• And are contact surfaces cleaned and sanitized throughout the day when necessary?


• Packing shed

• Does the building pose a risk of contamination (pests, dirty equipment)?

• Is equipment “retrofitted”? • Potato cleaner used for melons

Pest Mgmt in Packing Areas

Trap inside, bait outside


• SOPs should be written for routine cleaning and sanitation of:

• Harvest containers and tools • Coolers • Dump tanks • Flumes • Spray tables • Vehicles

Cleaning vs. Sanitizing

• Cleaning- the act of removing foreign material (i.e. dirt) from a surface through friction

• Sanitizing- the process of adding a disinfecting chemical to your clean surface to kill bacteria as opposed to physically removing it

• You cannot sanitize a dirty surface

Four-Step Cleaning and Sanitizing Procedure

• All surfaces that come in contact with harvested produce should be :

• 1) Pre-Rinsed • 2) Washed • 3) Rinsed • 4) Sanitized

• Follow instructions on sanitizer label

E. Bihn. (2012). GAPs01: Implementing GAPs: A Key to Produce Safety. p49.

1) Pre- Rinse

• 1) Pre-Rinse: Rinse surface to remove obvious dirt and debris • Helps remove soil that may have

accumulated in cracks, crevices, and hard-to-reach areas on food contact surfaces


Produce Safety Alliance. Module 5: Postharvest Handling and Sanitation Preventive Controls. Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training Learning Objectives. p16.

2) Wash

• 2) Wash: Apply appropriate detergent and scrub surfaces

• Detergent solution’s chemical action and friction

from rubbing, scrubbing or other mechanical force disperses soil

• Always mix detergent according to label directions



3) Rinse

• 3) Rinse: Rinse surface with potable water

• Removes detergent solution containing soil before it re-deposits onto the surface

• Rinsing ensures surface is visibly free of soil and detergent solution



4) Sanitize

• 4) Sanitize: Apply to surface according to label directions. Let air dry • Mix according to label • Prior to using, test sanitizer mixture with simple

kit to make sure it is at appropriate strength/concentration

• Choose the right sanitizer for the surface being sanitized

• You cannot sanitize a dirty surface



Proper Storage • Store clean bins and containers properly to prevent

contamination from soil amendments, rodents, etc.

• Write SOP for cleaning, sanitizing and proper storage • Include 4 step procedure

• Keep clean bins off ground and cover containers during storage period

Vehicles

• Avoid hauling produce in same vehicle that hauled

livestock, soil amendments, chemicals, etc. • Visually inspect vehicle prior to transporting

produce

• Ensure refrigerated trailers are working properly

Vehicles

Vehicles

• When inspecting trailer/wagon, beware of: • Foreign materials (manure, chemicals, broken

glass, etc.) • Foul odors • High temperatures in refrigerated trailers

• If any of the above exist, use another trailer/wagon or clean and sanitize to reduce the risk of cross-contamination

Vehicles

• If transporting produce in truck bed or on open wagon: • Cover produce to protect from contamination

during transportation

Traceability

Traceability

• Be able to track:

• One step forward • Date, # of cases, who those cases went to And

• One step back • Date harvested, what field, worker who picked

the produce

Traceability

• Farmers’ Market:

• Display farm name and business address at market booth

• Point of sale suitable for “one step forward” • Also record “no-sales” that go back to farm

Traceability

• Produce Auctions:

• Auction will assign a permanent grower/consignor number

• Office staff keeps record of grower and buyer information • Use tags on each lot

• Use labels on each item

• Grower number & date

Traceability

• What you need to get started:

• Farm map • List of crops • Harvest log • Sale log • Labels

Traceability

• Farm map: • Label your fields

• Name or code, whatever makes sense to you

A B C

Traceability Produce, Variety, and Field Key

Crop Number Variety Field Grown

Apples= 01 “Honeycrisp” = 5 “Golden Delicious” = 4

Apple Orchard= A

Blueberries= 02 “Aurora” = 1 “Blueray”= 2

Blueberry Patch= B

Strawberries= 09 “Diamante” = 3 Strawberry Patch= C

Harvest Records:

July 20, 2014 or “201” Field “B”

Blueberries or “02”, Aurora or “1”

60 pints

Bird droppings

on 3 bushes. Did not pick from those bushes.

Crew 3: John, Dave, Matt

One Step Back

Smith Fruit Farms, Wooster, OH

Smith Fruit Farms, Wooster, OH 201-B-02-1-3

Harvest Records:

One Step Back, continued

• Record packing date if it differs from harvest date

• Record packinghouse address if it differs

from farm

• Sales record:

One Step Forward

Smith Fruit Farms, Wooster, OH Date Sale Location Produce Taken No Sale

Inventory

July 21, 2014 Wooster Farmers’ Mkt

Liberty & Market Street

Wooster, OH 44691

201-B-02-1-3, 30 pints

201-B-02-1-3, 5 pints

201-C-09-3-3, 30 quarts

201-C-09-3-3, 10 quarts

July 22, 2014 County Line Produce Auction

11707 Jeffrey Road, West Salem,

OH 44287

201-B-02-1-3, 30 pints

N/A

201-C-09-1-3, 20 quarts

Farm Size for Produce Safety Rule • Exempt Farms = <$25,000 • Very Small Farms = $25,000-$250,000 • Small Farms= $250,000-$500,000 • All Other Farms= $500,000 + Net sales of food on a rolling 3 year average

Require signage for vendor booths & products

Consider Mock Recall

• A mock recall can determine the effectiveness of your traceability system

• Use a buyer who you are comfortable performing a mock recall with and make sure they know it’s not a true recall

• Buyer should be able to tell how much of your product they still have in their possession and how much has been sold (their traceability program at work)

Recap

• 5 Routes of Contamination • Water

• Pre-harvest & Post-harvest • Biological Soil Amendments • Health and Hygiene • Domestic and Wild Animals • Equipment, Tools and Buildings

• Traceability

Full research reports, assistance and production

information • Brad Bergefurd

Horticulture Educator OSU South Centers 1864 Shyville Road Piketon, Ohio 45661

• 1-800-860-7232 ext 136 • OSU Extension Scioto County

Portsmouth, Ohio 740-354-7879

• [email protected] • www.southcenters.osu.edu • Twitter.com/osuschort,

Facebook.com search OSU South Centers Horticulture

For variety reviews and more, http://vegnet.osu.edu/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.southcenters.osu.edu/

Questions?

Thank You!

good agricultural practices educational program...single food categories implicated in foodborne...

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