Transcript Document
Good Agricultural
Practices
(GAP)
for Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Growers
New England Extension Food Safety
Partnership
Project funded by USDA CSREES – Project Number 2000-05389
Sanitation
Sanitation
In the field
When packing
On the road
Traceback
Sanitation practices during
production, harvesting, sorting,
packing, and transport play a critical
role in minimizing the potential from
microbial contamination of fresh
produce.
Words to Know
Clean: Food or food contact surfaces are washed
and are visually free of dust, dirt, food residues, and
other debris
Sanitize: Treat clean food-contact surfaces with
heat or chemicals to reduce the number of
pathogenic microorganisms
Food Contact Surfaces: Surfaces that contact fresh
produce and those surfaces from which drainage
onto the produce or onto surfaces that contact the
produce during the normal course of operations
Food contact surfaces do not include tractors, forklifts,
hand trucks, or pallets
On-Farm Sanitation
Why is this important?
Soil, fertilizers, water, workers, pets, pests, and
harvesting equipment can all be sources of
pathogenic microorganisms and can contaminate
produce.
Dirty storage areas can contaminate produce and
shorten post harvest shelf life
Pathogenic microorganisms may be found on the
floors and in the drains in the packing facility and on
the surfaces of sorting, grading, and packing
equipment
Processing water that is reused may result in build up
of microbial loads and result in contamination.
During transportation, produce may become
contaminated during loading, unloading and storage.
Good sanitation standard operating procedures
can reduce the risk of microbial contamination
EMPLOYEE TRAINING
Ranked #1 Food Safety Problem
by Food Processing Industry
ALL segments of produce industry
Sertkaya, A. et. al. Top Ten Food Safety Problems in the United States Food Processing Industry.
Food Prot. Trends. 26(5):310-315
Minimize Risks in the Field:
What can you do?
Maintain and clean harvesting equipment
Remove as much dirt and mud as practical
from the produce before it leaves the field
Emphasize worker and U-pick customer hygiene
and training
Keep animals out of the field
Pets vs. farm animals vs. wildlife
Wes Kline, NJ Agricultural Experiment Station
Leave produce with bird droppings
• Harvest dry produce if possible
•
Maintain and Clean Harvest
Containers
Inspect for evidence of pests such as
rodents, birds, and insects
Discard damaged containers
Harvest containers should be cleaned with
hot soapy water and rinsed well prior to
reuse.
If stored outside, they should be kept covered or, at
minimum, upside down.
Sanitize containers, as needed and
practical, using an approved sanitizer
Maintain and Clean Harvesting
Equipment
Develop a cleaning and maintenance
schedule for equipment and assign these
responsibilities to a key individual
Keep equipment as clean as practical
Equipment used to haul garbage, manure,
or other debris should not be used to haul
fresh produce
Postharvest Handling to Keep
Fresh Produce Safe
Minimize Risks in the Storage
Facility: What can you do?
Clean storage areas thoroughly before harvesting
and storing crops
When appropriate wash, rinse and sanitize
storage areas.
Always wash before you sanitize, as dirt and organic
matter prevent the sanitizer from killing bacteria and
viruses
Use approved sanitizers
Have a pest control program
Minimize Risks in the Packing
Facility: What can you do?
Remove as much dirt as possible from fresh produce
before it comes into the packing area
Ensure that contaminated water and livestock waste
cannot enter packinghouse via run off or drift
Exclude all birds, animals, and rodents from packing
area
Enforce good worker hygiene.
Maintain handwashing and toilet facilities. A separate
handwashing sink must be available in the packing
facility.
Do not wear field clothes (shoes and boots) into the
packing area
Packing Facility Sanitation (cont)
Inspect containers for damage on a
regular basis and discard damaged
containers
Clean and sanitize containers and bins
before using to transport fresh produce
Clean and sanitize packing area,
floors, and lines daily
Minimize Risks from Processing
Water: What can you do?
Use potable water
Change water as necessary to maintain sanitary
conditions
Clean and sanitize water contact surfaces
Install backflow devices and legal air gaps
Use antimicrobial washes
Keep water no more than 10F cooler than
produce
Minimize Risks from Processing
Water: What can you do?
Antimicrobial washes may help minimize
microbial contamination
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Follow FDA and EPA recommendations
Chlorine could be added to water at 50-200 ppm
total chlorine, at a pH of 6.0-7.5 for a contact time
of 1-2 minutes
Monitor antimicrobial chemical levels
●
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As organic materials and microbial load increases in
wash water, antimicrobial chemicals are less effective
Use a sanitizer test kit
Minimize Risks from Processing
Water: What can you do?
Proper washing with water still best
Research on-going
Minimize Risks from Processing
Water: What can you do?
Antimicrobial washes may help minimize
microbial contamination
●
●
●
Follow FDA and EPA recommendations
Chlorine could be added to water at 50-200 ppm
total chlorine, at a pH of 6.0-7.5 for a contact time
of 1-2 minutes
Monitor antimicrobial chemical levels
●
●
As organic materials and microbial load increases in
wash water, antimicrobial chemicals are less effective
Use a sanitizer test kit
Minimize Risks During
Transportation: What can you do?
Ensure that transportation vehicles are clean
Be sure that fresh fruits and vegetables are not
shipped in trucks which have carried live
animals, manure, and garbage
If trucks are used to transport a variety of food
products (ie. Eggs, raw meat, poultry), clean
and sanitize trucks between uses
Use refrigerated trucks if
appropriate
Produce Only
Food Safety Partnership
New England Cooperative Extension Food Safety Specialists
From:
University of Connecticut
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts
University of New Hampshire
University of Rhode Island
University of Vermont
Other Representatives:
State Agriculture Divisions/Departments
USDA Agencies (Farm Service Agency, ASCS, NRCS)
Farm Bureau
Growers Associations
Cooperative Extension Agricultural Specialists/Agents