Transcript Document

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?
FDA-regulated foods linked to reported
illnesses, 1996-2006 (N=23,428 illnesses)
 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
WHAT SHOULD FOOD SAFETY MEAN TO ME AS A
PRODUCER?
 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
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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 ! ! !
Why Have a Food Safety Plan/Program?
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?)
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510)
&
Produce Safety Regulation
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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
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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
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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 Advisor
Leanne L. Skelton, FDA Senior Policy Analyst
10.17.11 Conference Call
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Funding from FDA and USDA to create a nationally recognized program for
food safety on the farm
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Focus: Education & Outreach for GAPs, standardized training and
education program to address FDA regulations
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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 PLAN
WHERE 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
- Cooperative Extension (CSU)
- CORNELL
- UC – DAVIS
– FDA
- Cooperative Extension (CSU)
- PRODUCE SAFETY ALLIANCE
- CA LEAFY GREENS
DEVELOPING A FOOD SAFETY PLAN
 MAP OUT YOUR OPERATION
 IDENTIFY YOUR SPECIFIC RISKS
RISK ASSESSMENT
 DEVELOP MANAGEMENT PROCESSES (SOPS) FOR IDENTIFIED RISKS
 DOCUMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
 DEVELOP CHECKLIST AND LOG SHEET TO MANAGE PROCESSES
Outlining the Production Process
Select Field
General Example:
Irrigation methods
Evaluate
bordering land
Current use?
History?
Water source
risks?
What chemicals
will be used?
Source? When applied?
Harvest
methods?
Field sanitation?
Worker hygiene?
Packing?
Sanitation, workers, materials, etc.
Storage/cooling
Produce Marketing Association
Johnna Hepner
General Considerations for GAPs Risk Assessments
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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!
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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
RESOURCES
FDA Guidance for Industry – FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/#
Produce Safety Alliance – FDA, USDA, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
http://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/psa.html
Colorado State University – Farm to Table Food Safety
http://farmtotable.colostate.edu
National GAPs Program – Cornell University
http://www.gaps.cornell.edu/index.html
On Farm Food Safety Project – Familyfarmed.org
http://onfarmfoodsafety.org
Organic Materials Review Institute – OMRI (for help with identifying
organic sanitizers)
https://www.omri.org
Contact
Tracy L. Vanderpool
Section Chief
Fruit & Vegetable Inspection
Colorado Department of Agriculture
735 Second Avenue
P.O. Box 407
Monte Vista, CO 81144
Phone: 719.852.4749
Fax: 719.852.4319
Email: [email protected]
Gretchen L. Wall, M.S.
Produce Safety Alliance Program
Coordinator
Cornell University
Department of Food Science
184 Stocking Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607.255.6806
Email: [email protected]
Visit the PSA Website
http://producesafetyalliance.cor
nell.edu/