Food Safety on the Small Farm: from Field to Market

1
Food Safety on the Small Farm from Field to
Market
2
Foodborne Illness in the U.S.

• 76 million cases of foodborne illness per year in
  U.S.
• 13 of all foodborne illness is from fresh fruits
  and vegetables
• The number of people affected by a produce
  related outbreak is greater than the number
  affected by a poultry, beef, eggs, or seafood
  case.

3
Produce Related Foodborne Illness is Increasing.
Why?

• Americans eat more fruits and vegetables than
  ever before
• 2x more than 50 years ago
• Produce is often eaten raw -- no kill step
• Washing cannot remove all pathogens
• water cannot remove all pathogens
• Nature of fruit and vegetable production
• close to the ground
• usually handled by several people from production
  through packaging
• water required through production - packaging

4
Important Recent Cases

• 2006 - E. coli on spinach
• 2006 - E. coli on leafy greens
• 2008 - Salmonella on tomatoes, peppers
• Led to increased focus on PREVENTION by large
  scale producers, packers and processors
• Auditing programs, such as Good Ag Practices
  (GAPs), are being adopted to reduce the potential
  for contamination
• Not mandatory, (at this time)
• New food safety bills may impact small farms
• H.R. 2749 Food safety enhancement act, passed
  2009
• S. 510 Food safety modernization act, waiting

5
Food Safety on the Farm

• Not all microorganisms are pathogenic, most are
  benign
• Goal is not a sterile environment
• Contamination can occur throughout production,
  harvest, post-harvest, transportation, and
  marketplace
• Goal is to reduce the risk of contaminating
  produce with good production and handling
  practices
• Focus on areas in which you are in control to
  reduce risk on your farm

6
Potential Sources of In-Field Contamination

• Greatest areas of concern
• Fertilizer manure, compost biosolids (not
  allowed in organic)
• Irrigation water
• Employees (including self) - hygiene health
• But also
• Animals/wildlife in field
• Chemicals pesticides
• Raw sewage contamination
• Land/soil - flood zones are a greater microbial
• Harvesting bins and equipment

7
Reducing Risk, in-Field

• Raw manure
• 120 day window between application and harvest
  (required for NOP) for crops that come in direct
  contact with soil or
• 90 days for crops that do not come into contact
  with soil
• Keep records/documentation!

8
Reducing Risk, Manure

• Incorporate manure into soil
• Do not store manure/compost near production or
  post harvest areas, where it can wash onto fields
  or be walked through
• Crop specific avoid applying to crops that can
  easily come in contact with soil (root crops or
  leafy greens)
• Apply to cover crop, incorporate cover crop for
  added fertility

9
Reducing Risk, in-Field

• Compost must be properly composted based on NOP
  regulations
• CN ratio of 151 to 601
• Minimum of 131F for minimum of 3 days
• Pile/windrow must be turned so that that all
  materials reach temp
• Must be cured or aged

10
Reducing Risk, in Field, cont.

• Irrigation water what is your source?
• Drip irrigation is best
• reduces splashing of soil/microorganisms onto
  crop, decrease disease pressure for plants, less
  evaporation
• For overhead irrigation, use potable water
• If water comes into contact with edible portion,
  you know its safe
• Test bi-annually for well water and quarterly
  for surface water sources
• www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.htm
• keep records

11
Reducing Risk, in Field, cont.

• Know potential for animal confinement
  contamination (neighbors)
• Human hygiene health
• accessible bathrooms - clean sanitary, hand
  washing available - also important for U-Pick
• do not allow sick employees to handle produce
  change responsibilities
• employee training, education develop a handbook
  for reference

12
Reducing Risk, in Field, cont.

• Clean sanitize harvest bins, tools, knives
  before after use
• all sanitizing chemicals must be NOP approved if
  certified organic
• Exclude animals from production area

13
Potential Sources of Post-Harvest Contamination

• Employee health and sanitation
• Contaminated rinse water
• Improperly working refrigeration unit
• Animals/wildlife/pests
• Unsanitary surfaces in contact with produce
• Where do you put your clean produce?

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Reducing Risk, Post-harvest

• HANDS!! - clean hands are very important when
  handling harvested produce
• accessible hand washing area w/ soap single use
  towels
• Clean work clothes - aprons, (clean) gloves if
  needed
• Provide First-Aid station
• Do not allow sick persons to handle produce
• Change responsibilities

15
Reducing Risk, Post-harvest, cont.

• Clean sanitize processing and packing area
  before and after use, such as counter top,
  harvest bins, etc
• Prevent any animals/pets/rodents/wildlife from
  entering packing area
• Monitor rinse water, if rinsing - change when
  dirty, use approved sanitizers/disinfectants in
  produce wash water

16
Reducing Risk, Post-harvest, cont.

• Quickly cool produce to minimize microbial growth
• Make sure cooler is clean, sanitized and working
  reliably
• Improperly working cooler provides environment
  for microbes (both pathogenic and spoilage) to
  multiply
• If using ice, ensure it is made from potable water

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Reducing Risk, Post-harvest, cont.

• Transport in clean truck/refrigerator truck/ car
• For added traceability, use a traceback system
  where produce can be track back to the field and
  harvest date

18
NOP Approved Sanitizers Disinfectants, Chlorine

• Chlorine approved as an algicide, disinfectant,
  sanitizer
• Most effective at pH of 6.0-7.0
• Becomes tied up and ineffective with contact to
  soil and organic matter
• use rinse steps first
• Residual chlorine at discharge must be no greater
  than 4 ppm chlorine (EPA drinking water standard)
• can start at higher levels than 4ppm, but must
  end with 4ppm
• Inexpensive, but has potential harmful
  by-products including bromate, chlorite, etc

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NOP Approved Sanitizers Disinfectants, Ozone
PPA

• Ozone
• quick acting, effective as chlorine
• attacks viruses, bacterial cell walls and spores
• fewer harmful by-products than chlorine
• must have an ozone generating machine on hand,
  must replenish water often
• Peracetic Acid (Peroxyacetic Acid), PPA
• effective as chlorine and ozone
• can be used up to 80 ppm in wash water
• produce must be rinsed afterwards
• Others are allowed, check certifier
• ethyl isopropyl alcohol, ammonium sanitizers,
  detergents allowed with stipulations

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Other Resources

• Food Safety Begins on the Farm A Growers Guide
• http//www.gaps.cornell.edu/FSBFEng.html
• www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/docs/foodsafety.html
• National GAP Program, Cornell, www.gaps.cornell.ed
  u/
• NC MarketReady, www.ncmarketready.org
• Good Agricultural Practices A Self-Audit for
  Growers and Handlers, http//ucce.ucdavis.edu/file
  s/filelibrary/5453/4362.pdf

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Other Resources

• http//www.FoodSafety.gov/
• Web resources for small farm post harvest
  handling, www.cefs.ncsu.edu/resources/sfpostharves
  thandling.pdf
• Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards
  for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,
  www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/.../UCM169112.pdf

22
References

• Pollack, S. 2001. Consumer Demand for Fruit and
  Vegetables The U.S. Example. In Changing
  Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade,
  May 2001. www.ers.usda.gov/publications/wrs011/wrs
  011h.pdf
• Food and Water Watch. The poisoned fruit of the
  American trade policy. 2008. www.foodandwaterwatch
  .org/food/imports/the-poisoned-fruit-of-american-t
  rade-policy
• Center for Science in the Public Interest,
  Outbreak Alert!, December 2008.
  cspinet.org/new/pdf/outbreak_alert_2008_report_fin
  al.pdf
• Silva, E. 2008. Approved chemicals for use in
  organic postharvest systems In Wholesale success
  a farmer's guide to selling, postharvest
  handling, and packing produce (Midwest edition).
  http//www.familyfarmed.org/retail.html
• http//www.extension.org/article/18355
• Food Safety Begins On-the-Farm Brochure,
  http//www.gaps.cornell.edu
• Production and Postharvest On-Farm Food Safety
  Self Audit and Resource CD-ROM http//vric.ucdavis
  .edu

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Acknowledgements

• This presentation address general organic
  production practices. It is to be to use in
  planning and conducting organic horticulture
  trainings. The presentation is part of project
  funded by a Southern SARE PDP titled Building
  Organic Agriculture Extension Training Capacity
  in the Southeast
• Project Collaborators
• Elena Garcia, University of Arkansas CESHeather
  Friedrich, University of ArkansasObadiah Njue,
  University of Arkansas at Pine BluffJeanine
  Davis, North Carolina State UniversityGeoff
  Zehnder, Clemson UniversityCharles Mitchell,
  Auburn UniversityRufina Ward, Alabama AM
  UniversityKen Ward, Alabama AM UniversityKaren
  Wynne, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network