Food Safety- What We Know and Don’t KnowFaith Critzer, Ph.D.Food Safety Extension SpecialistThe University of Tennessee
Overview
Farm to School ProgramFoodborne illness associated with produceWays to minimize food safety risks with fresh
produceUpcoming food safety regulationsFood safety and small to medium growersWhat does this all mean?
Farm to School Program
Efforts put forth to increase per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables Healthy People 2020
USDA Economic Research Service has estimated that fruit consumption will increased by 24-27% between 2000 and 2020 (Lin, 2004)
Farm to School Program
Farm to School Program began in late 90’s Promote incorporation of local foods into the
school nutrition programExpanded over past years to include learning
experiences School gardens Farm field trips Agriculture-based curricula
Foodborne Illness Linked to Produce
It has been estimated that harmful foodborne bacteria “pathogens” account for 47.8 million illnesses annually in the United States (Scallan, 2011) 3 out of every 20 people
Outbreaks linked to consumption of fresh cut fruits and vegetables are increasing (Sivapalasingam, 2004). 1973 to 1997, the % of outbreak-associated cases
attributed to fresh produce increased from <1% to 6% while the median size of these outbreaks doubled
Foodborne Illness
Food Category
QALY Loss*
Cost of Illness ($ Mil.)
Illnesses Hospitalizations
Deaths
1 Poultry 14,744
2,462 1,538,468
11,952 180
2 Complex foods
7,518 2,078 3,001,858
11,674 189
3 Pork 7,830 1,894 449,322 4,334 2014 Produce 6,171 1,404 1,193,97
07,125 134
5 Beef 5,766 1,338 760,799 4,818 131* Quality Adjusted Life Years
Batz 2011
Minimizing Produce Food Safety Risks
Produce is a very important part of a well-rounded diet
Important to increase per capita consumption of all produce
Fresh fruits and vegetables do not have a heating step which can inactivate foodborne pathogen
Shift emphasis to practices in cultivation, harvesting, processing, and storage to prevent contamination with pathogens
Food Safety for Produce
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Cultivation and harvesting practices that
minimize the risk of fruits and vegetables being contaminated with pathogens
Example areas of focus: worker hygiene, irrigation water quality, manure and compost use, pesticide use, animal exclusion, and pest control
Food Safety for Produce
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) or Good Handling Practices (GHPs) Processing practices to reduce the risk of fruits and
vegetables being contaminated with pathogens Example areas of focus:
worker hygiene, processing water quality, sanitary operations during packing and storage, pest control, cleaning and sanitation of food contact surfaces and environment
Food Safety Plans for Produce
Increasing demand for fruit and vegetable growers to develop food safety plans outlining their: Practices Training Documenting their adherence to these
practices
Food Safety Plans for Produce
Each grower will conduct a risk assessment for their site- identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points(HACCP)- based systemDevelop practices specific to their farm and
produce types based on GAPs and GMPsBuyers will require independent third party
audits of the food safety plan If passed, growers become GAP certified Audits conducted on an annual basis
Food Safety Plans- GAP Certification
Voluntary for growers, but many would see significant reduction in market if not adopted Now required by the majority of foodservice
and retail grocers
Upcoming Produce Safety Regulations
Food Safety Modernization Act Signed into law January 2011 Preventative Controls and Produce Safety
Regulations to be developed by FDADraft Regulations soon to be announced
Comment period Final regulation will be established by FDA
Produce Safety Regulation will
require development of produce safety plans-
cultivation and harvesting
Preventative Controls
Regulation will require development of preventative controls
plan- packing/processing
facilities
Food Safety Modernization Act
ExemptionsSmall growers will be exempt (Tester
Amendment) if: <$500,000 in total sales Majority of sales direct market Sold within 275 miles or the same state
Many of the small to medium growers that may be selling directly to schools in the Farm to School Program will be exempt from these regulations
A Survey of Practices for Small to Medium
Growers>25% of respondents were inappropriately
using raw manure on fields as a soil amendment
Nearly 15% used untested well water for irrigation
16% used untested well water and 0.4% used surface water for processing fruits and vegetables
>5% did not have handwashing or bathroom facilities near the field or packing area
>40% did not use sanitizers on food contact surfaces
(Harrison 2011)
Size Doesn’t Matter…
August 2011, 15 people sickened and 1 person died from E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Jaquith Strawberry Farm
35-acre strawberry farmMost products sold at roadside stands and
farmers’ marketsDeer in field most likely cause of
contamination 10% of environmental samples testing positiveTerry 2011
Farm to School Produce Safety
Produce which will receive a “kill step” such as heating by the school system during production will inactivate foodborne pathogens present Chemical (e.g. pesticide) and Physical (e.g.
glass) hazards still a concernFresh fruits and vegetables do not have any
steps that effectively reduce biological, chemical, or physical hazards
Farm to School Produce Safety
USDA Farm to School Team 2010 Summary Report (LaCorte 2011) 15 school districts active in farm to school
Food service directors identified food safety as a key concern for all foods None of the 15 districts required GAP
certification Directors indicated that they did not have the
training or knowledge base to adequately evaluate food safety practices of growers
What We Don’t KnowWhat type of food safety practices are in
place at various produce farms if they are not independently audited No farmer would intentionally sell contaminated
product, yet it still occursHow school nutrition directors will address
food safety concerns with fresh produce They must evaluate the risk and determine
what food safety requirements will be required for locally sourced produce
What We Know Children are more susceptible to foodborne pathogens Produce does cause foodborne illness
1.1 million illnesses annually Market has driven produce safety standards up until
now GAP Certification opens many markets for farmers
Must rely on appropriate food safety practices being implemented to reduce risk of contamination
All the food safety practices in place in the cafeteria/central kitchen are negated when contaminated fresh produce enters the supply chain
Resources
Faith Critzer- Food Safety Extension Specalist, UT Department of Food Science, [email protected] or (865)974-7274
Annette Wszelaki- Extension Vegetable Specialist, UT Department of Plant Sciences, [email protected] or (865)974-7274
Matthew Young- Chief Field Inspector, Tennessee Crop Improvement Association, [email protected] or (615)242-0467
Produce Safety Alliance- http://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/edu-mat.html
On Farm Food Safety Project- http://onfarmfoodsafety.org/
References Lin, B. 2004. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption-Looking Ahead to
2020. In United_States_Department_of_Agriculture-ERS (ed.). Scallan, E., P. M. Griffin, F. J. Angulo, R. V. Tauxe, and R. M.
Hoekstra. 2011. Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States-Unspecified Agents. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 17:16-22.
Scallan, E., R. M. Hoekstra, F. J. Angulo, R. V. Tauxe, M. A. Widdowson, S. L. Roy, J. L. Jones, and P. M. Griffin. 2011. Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United
Sivapalasingam, S., C. R. Friedman, L. Cohen, and R. V. Tauxe. 2004. Fresh produce: A growing cause of outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States, 1973 through 1997. Journal of Food Protection. 67:2342-2353.
References Batz, M., S. Hoffmann, J.Glenn Morris. 2011. Ranking the risks the
10 pathogen-food combinations with the greatest burden on public health. In University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute
Harrison, J. A., J. Gaskin, M.A. Harrison, R.R. Boyer, G. Zehnder, and J.L. Cannon. 2011. Survey of food safety practices on small to medium-sized farms and in small farmers' markets. In, International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI
Terry, L. 2011. Tests reveal E. coli in deer droppings found in Oregon strawberry field. In, The Oregonian.
LaCorte, L., C. Parrott, M. Russell, J. Kupcha, K. Horton, K. Quanbeck, J. Kwit, C. Conell, S. Barnes. 2011. USDA Farm to School Team 2010 Summary Report. In United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Agriculture Marketing Service, http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/pdf/2010_summary-report.pdf.