food safety for fruit & vegetable growers: what is a food safety program that incorporates good...
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Food Safety For Fruit & Vegetable Growers: What is a food safety program that incorporates Good Agricultural Practices / Good
Handling Practices?
Tracy Vanderpool
Section Chief, Fruit & Vegetable Inspection, Colorado Department of Agriculture
AGENDA
HISTORY
WHERE DO I START?• TAKE RESPONSBILITY• RESEARCH/GUIDANCE
DEVELOPMENT OF A FOOD SAFETY PLAN• CONDUCTING RISK ASSESSMENTS• DEVELOPING SOPs
IMPLEMENTATION OF A FOOD SAFETY PLAN
BE SURE TO ASK QUESTIONS!
HISTORY OF FOOD SAFETY
CONSUMERS EXPECT SAFE FOOD
PRODUCERS ARE RESPONSIBLE
MORE REPORTED OUTBREAKS
WHY? SCIENCE ENHANCES ABILITY TO LINK ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH
FOOD BORNE PATHOGENES
OTHER FACTORS: AGE OF POPULATION, HEALTH OF POPULATION, CONSUMER CHOICES
CHANGING MICROORGANISMS: MORE VIRULENT STRAINS, ADAPTING TO STRESSES
FDA-regulated foods linked to reported illnesses, 1996-2006 (N=23,428 illnesses)
WHAT SHOULD FOOD SAFETY MEAN TO ME AS APRODUCER?
I AM RESPONSIBLE
I KNOW MY OPERATION BETTER THAN ANYONE
I NEED TO BE PROACTIVE
THE FOLLOWING CAN BE DANGEROUS
DO NOT GET CAUGHT USING EXCUSES
• BEEN FARMING FOR 75 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM• IMPLEMENTATION OF A FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM IS TOO EXPENSIVE• TOO SMALL OF A PRODUCER• GOING TO WAIT UNTIL A REGULATORY AGENCY MAKES ME
REALITY IS THAT A FOOD SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE
PATHOGENS EXIST EVERYWHERE
ALL GROWERS USE• WATER• FERTILIZER• PEOPLE• ENVIRONMENT
PATHOGENS DO NOT CARE. . . .• WHERE A PRODUCER IS LOCATED• HOW BIG A PRODUCER IS• WHAT THE COMMODITY IS • WHO CONSUMES THE PRODUCT
ONE PERSON SICK IS TOO MANY ! ! !
Priorities
• What Does Food Safety Mean To Me?• Consumer Protection• Business Asset Protection• Regulatory
• Mandatory vs. Non-Mandatory• Buyer/Retailer Requirements• Food Safety Modernization Act (FDA)
• Exemptions (Are Any Growers Really Exempt?)
Why Have a Food Safety Plan/Program?
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510)&
Produce Safety Regulation
• Passed January 5, 2011• Focus on prevention, not detection of issues• Produce Safety Regulation one of six major
preventative control areas• Focus on the growing, harvesting, post-harvest
handling (e.g., washing, grading)
Possible exemptions by the Tester Amendment
• Low-risk fruits and vegetables• Farms that:
o Direct market more than 50% of products to qualified end users
o Have gross sales of all food and food products of less than $500,000
o Sell to consumers, stores, or restaurants that are in-state or within 275 miles of where the products were harvested or processed
Mark Kogut
Risk Based Approach to Produce Safety
• Very low risk products exempt or out of scope• Standards and controls prescribed vary according to
the risk of the agronomic practices utilized (e.g., water application method or soil amendment type) rather than by commodity
• Higher burden associated with higher risk practices
James R. Gorny, FDA Senior Policy AdvisorLeanne L. Skelton, FDA Senior Policy Analyst
10.17.11 Conference Call
• Funding from FDA and USDA to create a nationally recognized program for food safety on the farm
• Focus: Education & Outreach for GAPs, standardized training and education program to address FDA regulations
• Target Audience: Fresh produce growers, packers, and grower cooperatives with special emphasis on small and very small scale farms and packinghouses, regulators
DEVELOPMENT OF A FOOD SAFETY PLANWHERE TO START?
TAKE RESPONSBILITY• UNDERSTAND YOUR RISKS (BEGINNING OF RISK ASSESSMENT)• UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY OPERATION IS DIFFERENT• BE PROACTIVE• WORK AT IT EVERYDAY
RESEARCH/GUIDANCE• KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW• DO YOUR HOMEWORK USING GENERAL AND COMMODITY SPECIFIC
GUIDANCE
GENERAL – FDA SPECIFIC – FDA - Cooperative Extension (CSU) - Cooperative Extension (CSU)
- CORNELL - PRODUCE SAFETY ALLIANCE - UC – DAVIS - CA LEAFY GREENS
DEVELOPING A FOOD SAFETY PLAN
MAP OUT YOUR OPERATION RISK ASSESSMENT IDENTIFY YOUR SPECIFIC RISKS
DEVELOP MANAGEMENT PROCESSES (SOPS) FOR IDENTIFIED RISKS
DOCUMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
DEVELOP CHECKLIST AND LOG SHEET TO MANAGE PROCESSES
Outlining the Production ProcessSelect Field
Evaluate bordering land
Water source risks?
What chemicals will be used?
Harvest methods?
Packing?
Storage/cooling
Irrigation methods
Current use? History?
Source? When applied?
Field sanitation? Worker hygiene?
Sanitation, workers, materials, etc.
General Example:
Produce Marketing AssociationJohnna Hepner
General Considerations for GAPs Risk Assessments
• Water• Soil amendments (manure, compost, biosolids)• Worker health and hygiene• Sanitary facilities• Field sanitation• Packing facility sanitation• Transportation• Traceback
IMPLEMENTATION OF A FOOD SAFETY PLAN
TRAIN EMPLOYEES
PERFORM SELF AUDIT / 2nd PARTY AUDIT / 3RD PARTY AUDIT
EVALUATE AUDIT RESULTS AND IMPLEMENT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
UPDATE PLAN AS NEEDED
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
What can you do NOW?
You’re already well on your way for being here today!
• Educate yourself on food safety on the farm• Develop a food safety plan• Participate in PSA discussions• Keep up-to-date with new regulations and GAPs
RESOURCESFDA Guidance for Industry – FDAhttp://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/#
Produce Safety Alliance – FDA, USDA, CORNELL UNIVERSITYhttp://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/psa.html Colorado State University – Farm to Table Food Safetyhttp://farmtotable.colostate.edu
National GAPs Program – Cornell Universityhttp://www.gaps.cornell.edu/index.html
On Farm Food Safety Project – Familyfarmed.orghttp://onfarmfoodsafety.org
Organic Materials Review Institute – OMRI (for help with identifying organic sanitizers)https://www.omri.org
Contact
Gretchen L. Wall, M.S.Produce Safety Alliance Program CoordinatorCornell UniversityDepartment of Food Science184 Stocking HallIthaca, NY 14853Phone: 607.255.6806Email: [email protected]
Visit the PSA Websitehttp://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/
Tracy L. VanderpoolSection ChiefFruit & Vegetable InspectionColorado Department of Agriculture735 Second AvenueP.O. Box 407Monte Vista, CO 81144Phone: 719.852.4749Fax: 719.852.4319Email: [email protected]