rockmelon food safety- the way forward · melon growers/ packers whole-of-chain approach, national...
TRANSCRIPT
Name of program
Rockmelon Food Safety-
the Way Forward
S.P. Singh, PhD
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Central Coast Primary Industries Centre
Ourimbah, NSW
T: 02 4348 1935; M: 0420 593 129
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Australian Melon Industry
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Rockmelon food safety - a challenge
• Proximity to ground
• Netted rough skin
• Hard-to-sanitise
• Consumed raw
• Low acid flesh
• 2018 Listeria outbreak in Australia
• 2018 Salmonella outbreak in USA
• 2016 Salmonella outbreak in Australia
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NSW DPI’s
Horticultural Food Safety
Research Program
Mitigate food safety risks
• Scientific evidence-based
• Preventative
• Industry-focused
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NSW DPI’s Safe Melons Initiative (2014-)
Safe Melons
Funding$$
Research
Peak Industry Body
Regulators
Supermarket retailers
Melon growers/packers
Whole-of-chain approach, national scope
(2018-)
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Food Safety Training, Extension and Capacity for
the Melon Industry (VM17002 )
June 2018 to April 2019
Current Melon R&D Project
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Food Safety Training, Extension and Capacity for
the Melon Industry (VM17002 )
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“………..growing rockmelons for over 50 years, no Listeria ever”
“……….. growing for over 20 years, we had no problems”
“…growing melons for two generations, our systems are perfect”
Food safety (Listeria ) perspective
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Courtesy: Prof Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University, USA
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What has changed recently?
Improved diagnostics
Enhanced surveillance
Excellent traceability
Whole genome sequencing
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• Review food safety systems
• Identify critical control points in processing
• Assist in verification of food safety practices
• Train key staff in food safety
One-on-one consultation with growers and packers
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Invitation to participate in the project
• SE Qld: Sep-Oct
• NSW & Vic (Riverina & Sunraysia): Nov-Dec
• SA Riverland: Dec
• Southern WA: Dec-Jan
One-on-one consultation with growers and packers
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Best Practice Guide
• Develop and implement a Best Practice Guide
• Baseline data and information from consultation
• Peer-review and comments from stakeholders
including researchers, industry and regulators
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Key learnings from the project so far
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Harvest
bins
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Hot spots for contamination
Postharvest precooling
• Porous skin- Infiltration of wash water
• Higher difference in fruit temperature and
wash water temperature aggravates the
risk
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Dump tank
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Re-circulated
wash water
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Postharvest washing
• Sanitiser concentration
• Difference in target vs. actual concentrations
• -50 ppm to +40 ppm
• Contact time between sanitiser and fruit
• 25 sec to 120 sec
• Dosing & monitoring
• Manual
• Automatic
Hot spots for cross-contamination
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Brushes
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Drying tunnel and curtain
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Conveyor belts
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Conveyor belts
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Conveyor belts
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Grading
cups
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Packing
tables
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Porous
surface
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Cracks
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Hot spots for cross contamination
Cool
room
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Key issues
• Packinghouse
hygiene
• Dust control
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Loading Zone
Tea Room
Sit
e O
ffic
e
Grading
Machin
e
QA Area
Cool Rooms
Melon
Grader
Environmental monitoring- potential pathogen harbourage sites
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Microbiological survey
• Fruit and environmental samples collected
during on-site visits to rockmelon growers
• RT-PCR assay for Salmonella species and
Listeria monocytogenes
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Rockmelon food safety-the way forward
• Preventative approach
• Continuous improvement
• Automation and digitisation
• “Embrace the Change”
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Being either insane or part of change?
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Acknowledgements
• Melon growers & packers
• State health regulators, Supermarkets
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NSW DPI’s Project Team
• Amanda Warren-Smith
• Andrew Creek
• Andrew Watson
• Craig Shadbolt
• Kasia Strojny
• Miranda Christopher
• Stela Gkountina
• Zabrina Khan
Acknowledgements
Name of program
Name of program
Technical Enquiries
t: 02 4348 1935
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