Cantaloupe Pilot Program Agenda

Dates and Locations:

Their study, “Alternative Post-harvest Washing Solutions to Enhance the Microbial Safety and Quality of Organic Fresh Produce,” began last fall.

Cantaloupes are among the crops that could benefit from postharvest washing with naturally occurring mircrobials to help prevent E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella contamination in organic produce. Photo by Justin Moore, N.C. State University.

The four-year, multidisciplinary project is supported by a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program. Dr. Qixin Zhong, an associate professor in the UT Department of Food Science and Technology, leads the initiative.

“The goal of the project is to provide safe, alternative, sustainable and effective treatments to reduce foodborne illnesses caused by E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella contamination in organic produce,” said Zhong.

The group hopes to provide those effective treatments in the form of alternative organic antimicrobials — naturally occurring substances such as organic essential oils that fight pathogens like E. coli — added to postharvest wash water.

“To improve microbiological safety of organic produce, there is an urgent need to develop washing practices that not only enhance sanitation effectiveness but also fulfill the requirement of organic fresh produce,” said Zhong.

As part of the project, the researchers also will evaluate the economic feasibility of their work and impact on the shelf life of various types of organic produce.

“The research team is very eager to make sure the outcomes from this project will be applicable to organic growers throughout the United States,” said Faith Critzer, a UT Extension specialist and faculty member of the UT Department of Food Science and Technology.

To achieve that goal, researchers partnered with a group of organic produce growers who will provide feedback throughout the study. In addition, the team will share research findings through webcasts, written fact sheets and a series of workshops held in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; the UT College of Veterinary Medicine; UT AgResearch, including its system of 10 research and education centers; and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.

North Carolina State University’s project team includes an interdisciplinary group of faculty from the Plants for Human Health Institute, N.C. Cooperative Extension and the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, all of which are part of the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences(CALS). CALS’ mission is to improve the economic, environmental and social well-being of North Carolina and the world.

Project partners include Dr. Qixin Zhong, associate professor in the UT Department of Food Science and Technology; Faith Critzer, UT assistant professor and food safety extension specialist; Dr. P. Michael Davidson, UT professor of food microbiology; Dr. David Lockwood, UT professor and extension specialist in fruit and nut crops; Dr. Annette Wszelaki, UT assistant professor and commercial vegetable extension specialist; Jonathan Baros, farm and agribusiness management with PHHI; Dr. Jeanine Davis, NCSU associate professor and extension specialist in organic crops; Dr. MaryAnne Drake, NCSU professor in sensory analysis and flavor chemistry; Diane Ducharme, GAPs program coordinator and extension associate in horticulture and food safety with PHHI; and Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, professor and postharvest physiologist with PHHI.

Media Contacts

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (lead)
Dr. Faith Critzer, Assistant Professor and UT Extension Specialist, 865-974-7274, faithc@utk.edu

North Carolina State University
Justin Moore, Extension Communications, 704-250-5433, justin_moore@ncsu.edu

“The (N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force) team is a great model for the scholarship of engagement and mutually beneficial community engagement,” said the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award Planning Committee.

This N.C. State University award is given in honor of Dr. Opal Mann Green, who had a long and successful career with N.C. Cooperative Extension. This award recognizes and memorializes Green’s distinguished leadership and dedication to the values of:

• Using democracy in the classroom, in the community and at home,
• Creating inclusionary teams, and
• Community-based learning and mutually-beneficial action around local issues valued by community members.

Task force co-chairs include Dr. Ben Chapman, assistant professor and extension food safety specialist; Diane Ducharme, Plants for Human Health Institute GAPs program coordinator and extension associate in horticulture & food safety; Dr. Chris Gunter, assistant professor and vegetable production specialist.

Learn more about the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award.

Today every farm, large or small, needs to have a smart plan for ensuring food safety. “Good Agricultural Practices” or “GAP” certification is one way to put a plan in place. It has the added bonus of opening doors to markets that require GAP. But will GAP work in the small farm context? The answer increasingly is — yes!

This training will address how local farmers can achieve USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) certification, provide information on risks behind specific GAPs requirements, and outline logistics for preparing and scheduling a GAPs audit. The USDA GAPs certification program is an independent audit of produce suppliers that focuses on best agricultural practices to verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored in the safest manner possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards.

Please email csmitchell@wakegov.com to register on a First Come First Serve basis whilethere still is space available.

EVENT DETAILS

Wake County
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
NC Cooperative Extension, Wake County Office
4001-E Carya Dr, Raleigh, NC 27610-2914
Auditorium Rm 107
Contact: Carol Mitchell, 919-250-1094, csmitchell@wakegov.com

Presenters: Audrey Kreske, PhD and Katie Baros, MS

Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) & Food Safety Audit Training and
Cost-Share Opportunities

Date: February 20, 2013; (7:00am – 500pm)

Registration fee:  $30, pre-registration required

Location:  Wake County Cooperative Extension, 4001-E Carya Drive,
Raleigh, NC  27610

Contacts:
Carol Mitchell:   carol_s_mitchell@ncsu.edu, 919-250-1094
Jeana Myers:  jeana_myers@ncsu.edu, 919-250-1113

Find Summaries and Fact Sheets about the FDA’s proposed fresh produce rule.

Event Details

DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (Added: February 21, 2013)
“Proposed Rules under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” (.PPT)

February 20, 2013 – 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Gov. Kerr Scott Building, N.C. State Fairgrounds
Raleigh, N.C. 27607

Click here to Register
Meeting Flier (PDF)
Meeting Agenda (PDF)

FDA Presenters

Mike Taylor
Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine

James R. Gorny, Ph.D
Senior Advisor for Produce Safety

Visit www.ncagr.gov/FDAlisten to learn more.

The session will also be STREAMED during the Western N.C. Winter Vegetable Conference, coordinated by the NCDA&CS, at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Asheville for people in attendance who would like to participate.

In addition, there will be a live webcast of the session available on the NCDA&CS website.

The agenda format for all three meetings will be the same.

The meetings are designed to solicit public comments from stakeholders on the proposed rules, inform the public about the rulemaking process (including how to submit comments, data and other information to the rulemaking dockets), and respond to questions about the proposed rules.

Listening Sessions Schedule

Washington, D.C.
February 28, 2013 – 8:30 am – 5 p.m.
March 1, 2013 – 8:30 am – 12 p.m.
Location: Jefferson Auditorium, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14^th and Independence Avenue, SW, Wing 5 Entrance, Washington, D.C.
View Details

Chicago, IL
March 11, 2013 – 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
March 12, 2013 – 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Portland, OR
March 27, 2013 – 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
March 28, 2013 – 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

*Registration for these meetings will open at the time the meeting announcements appear in the Federal Register.

Download the Survey Report (PDF)

Input: Output Schematic for Sweet Potato Industry (PDF)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Researchers from North Carolina State University, in collaboration with Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University and the University of California, Davis, surveyed sweet potato growers in their respective regions to assess the industry’s food safety preparedness. Forty-one (41) sweet potato growers in six states (NC, LA, MS, AL, AR, CA) completed the survey. Three-fourths (78%) of the respondents had over 100 acres in production, and over half (59%) had 2010 gross sales exceeding $1 million. The representation of large-scale operations makes the outcome of the survey more indicative of the practices occurring on the majority of acres but not by the majority of sweet potato growers. The presence of a kill step in the preparation of sweet potatoes minimizes the overall risk of microbial foodborne illness resulting from human consumption. However, the trend toward increased consumption of raw sweet potatoes does present a potential area of concern. The majority of respondents utilize Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to help mitigate potential food safety concerns resulting from microbial contamination and adulteration by foreign objects, such as metal, glass or rocks.

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INTRODUCTION
Food safety incidents in ready-to-eat (RTE) produce like spinach and bean sprouts, as well as in some processed foods like peanut butter and meat, have increased the general public’s interest in the safety of food production practices. The recent passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act by the United States Congress has elevated public interest as well.

Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, provide general food safety guidance on critical production steps where food safety might be compromised during the growing, harvesting, transportation and storage of crops. GAPs guidance includes water quality testing, worker hygiene protocols, crop inputs utilization and postharvest handling and transportation. Much of agriculture has adopted or is adopting GAPs as part of normal production operations.

Liability associated with the production, processing, selling or serving of food products can disrupt a company, brand or entire industry. Most medium to large food handlers selling or serving food products require that their suppliers undergo third-party audits on a regular basis to monitor compliance to their food safety and/or GAPs programs. These audit results are often shared with customers as verification of the producer’s commitment to food safety and GAPs. In fact, a majority of the sweet potato processors have begun requiring GAPs audits of their suppliers.

RTE crops present the greatest concern for microbial contamination and foodborne illness since the crop is consumed raw. For crops that are cooked or destined for intense processing involving heat or any other microbial kill step, contamination is limited to post-production handling practices by the processor or consumer. However, the trend toward increased consumption of raw sweet potatoes does present potential food safety concerns. GAPs minimize the potential for microbial contamination and adulteration by foreign objects, such as metal, glass or rocks.

The 2011 Sweet Potato Production Food Safety Needs Survey was conducted to supplement information collected during the 2010 National Sweet Potato Convention. The objective of this survey was to determine the current status of food safety issues recognized within the sweet potato industry by growers, including any buyer requirements, for food safety documentation.

Survey information is reported in aggregate form only in order to preserve the identity of all participants. Farm-specific information is not included and will not be released to individuals without an operation’s prior written permission.

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METHODS
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU), in collaboration with Louisiana State University (LSU), Mississippi State University (MSU) and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), were awarded a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant to assess food safety needs of the sweet potato production industry.

The 2011 Sweet Potato Production Food Safety Needs Survey (Attachment 1) was developed by Diane Ducharme, NCSU, in collaboration with Drs. Jonathan Schultheis, NCSU; Tara Smith, LSU; Scott Stoddard, UC Davis; and William Burdine, MSU. The researchers surveyed growers during 2011 and 2012 state sweet potato meetings, as well as during the 2012 National Sweet Potato Convention. Also, the survey was mailed to approximately 100 members of the U.S. Sweet Potato Council located in multiple states.

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RESULTS
A total of 41 sweet potato growers in six states (NC, LA, MS, AL, AR, CA) participated in the survey. Of those respondents, 28 were identified as farm owners, with the remainder describing themselves as farm managers, food safety coordinators or farm organizations in general.

Of the respondents, 49% were from NC and 37% from LA, two states that together account for 70% of the total number of sweet potato farms, 62% of the total acreage and 51% of total production, according to 2012 USDA sweet potato statistics. Survey results are reported according to general categories.

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CONCLUSION
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the four largest sweet potato-producing states in 2010, based on thousand hundredweights (1,000 cwt), were NC (9,720), CA (6,390), MS (3,600) and LA (2,470). Together they represent 93% of all U.S. sweet potato production and 87% of total acreage (USDA ERS, June 2011). In this survey, those four states accounted for only 38% of the actual number of farms, indicating that much larger farms were represented relative to the remaining 28 sweet potato-producing states.

Based on the completed surveys alone, the sweet potato industry appears to be relatively proactive in the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) certification and associated practices to minimize adulteration. The results suggest that the larger operations are prepared to address many potential food safety issues. Because the more numerous small farm operations are underrepresented in the survey, an accurate assessment of their food safety preparedness cannot be determined.

As companies look at implementing fresh produce safety training, the make-up of personnel (full-time or seasonal) needs to be considered to optimize training efficiency. Training should be inclusive of both the general and job-specific risks. Training on the implementation of a company’s food safety policies, procedures and documentation should be included. Frequency of training should be consistent with the employee’s hire date – either on the hire date or before entering production areas.

The increasing importance of sustainable production to food companies can appear at conflict with fundamental food safety requirements. For instance, maintaining diverse habitats in crop production areas can lead to animal intrusion, thus creating a potential food safety hazard. Removal of vegetative buffer zones could minimize animal intrusion but negatively impact habitat and, thereby, wildlife development. Co-management strategies are being developed by federal and state agencies and universities, including the University of California, Davis (www.ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu), to optimize practices that support habitat development while minimizing contamination from animal intrusion. Co-management is a potential area of development in sweet potato production.

As recent updates to the Food Safety Modernization Act require that food supplies used for animal feed must be of the same food safety quality as those used for human consumption, the industry will need to watch for details on these rules when released and determine how it affects their operations.

While sweet potatoes are not categorized as a high-risk crop according to the Food Safety Modernization Act, traceability programs will require traceability within a commodity to occur within hours if needed. Electronic management of records similar to the Produce Traceability Initiative will be necessary.

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SURVEY
This survey is intended to supplement a focus group survey conducted at the 2010 National Sweet Potato Convention to determine the current status of food safety issues recognized within the sweet potato industry by growers, including any buyer requirements, for food safety documentation. Survey information will be provided only in aggregate form to interested individuals in order to preserve the identity of all participants. Your farm-specific information will not be released to individuals without your prior written permission. Please complete the survey based on your knowledge of your operation.

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Crisis Communications Workbook

This workbook outlines the processes or steps involved in creating a crisis communications plan, using the Sweet Potato Industry as an example. It provides basic information, checklists and worksheets that can be adapted for your industry or organization simply by making the templates or structure fit your needs. For ease of reading and general understanding, the term “industry” is used in this workbook as a universal descriptor for any company, business or organization.

National Watermelon Promotion Board: Crisis Plan

In response to the increasing incidence of food-borne illness in the produce industry, the National Watermelon Promotion Board has enhanced and expanded their crisis communications program to assist the industry in dealing with virtually any crisis.

Developing a message map
A key step in effective media communications is to develop clear and concise messages that address key audiences’ questions and concerns. A message map allows an operation to develop and organize key talking points about the business in advance of a crisis.

Making Your Point: A media relations checklist
Growers and Cooperative Extension agents should use this checklist when preparing for a media interview. Included are tips, questions and guidelines to help communicate the operation’s messages.

Media basics when a reporter calls
Preparation is the key to becoming comfortable with media calls and interviews. These tips should help prepare Extension agents and growers to work effectively with reporters.

8 Questions the Media Always Ask
There are certain questions the media will almost always ask when covering a food-related crisis. Be prepared when the media calls by developing responses to the questions in this document in advance