Farm Stand and U-Pick Produce Operations Safety Best Practices
Inviting customers to your farm with a Farm Stand or U-Pick is a great way to engage the public and educate consumers about agriculture in general and specifically, where and how our food is produced. In addition, hosting farm visitors can lead to other business opportunities while providing consumers with fresh fruits and vegetables essential for a healthy diet.
Food Safety and Garden Flooding
Heavy rains followed by flooding can negatively affect plants in the garden. When plants are exposed to floodwater for prolonged periods of time the roots are deprived of oxygen and the plants can suffocate and die. For vegetables and other tender plants, several days of flooding can cause rapid rotting and death. In addition, contamination of fruits and vegetables by floodwater can create a food safety hazard.
Food Safety and You: Microbial Safety of Fresh Produce in Home Gardens after Flooding
Floodwaters commonly contain microbial contaminants and can directly affect public health. Microbial contaminants may include bacteria, viruses and parasites. Common foodborne pathogens reported in floodwater include Norovirus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Floodwater exposed to raw sewage, farm animals (such as chickens or goats), river or pond water and agricultural runoff is likely to carry harmful pathogens and parasites and thus spread health risks to fresh produce in your home garden.
Growing fruits and vegetables in a home, school or community garden has many healthful benefits. Gardening can reduce stress, improve mental clarity, increase physical activity and increase awareness of healthy nutrition. However, there are potential food safety challenges that should be addressed when growing fruits and vegetables. From the garden to the kitchen, there are many opportunities for bacteria, viruses and parasites to contaminate your produce. Bacteria such as Salmonella, pathogenic E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes and viruses such as Norovirus are commonly linked to contaminated fresh produce. These pathogens can be a problem whether you are using organic or conventional gardening methods. Dirty water, soil, soil amendments, animals, gardening tools and peoples’ hands are potential sources of these harmful bacteria and viruses. In addition, damaged or decaying produce provide conditions that can support the growth of human pathogens. Simple practices can be used in the garden to reduce the risks of produce contamination and prevent foodborne illnesses.
Ensuring Food Safety in The Vineyard: Table Grapes
Grapes must be unadulterated and safe for consumption. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in 2011, focuses on the reduction and prevention of food safety risks, and encompasses the entire food chain. FSMA includes seven major rules, recognizing that food safety is a shared responsibility. The FSMA Produce Safety Rule provides guidance to growers on standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. Fresh table grapes are considered covered produce within the FSMA Produce Safety Rule [§112.1(b)(1)]*. Covered produce is any fruit and vegetable that is typically eaten raw, which includes table grapes [§112.2]. Although some farms are eligible for exemption from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule based on commodities grown, size of operation, or processing activities, this document highlights the FSMA Produce Safety Rules for Full Compliance Vineyards.
Ensuring Food Safety in The Vineyard: Wine Grapes
Grapes must be unadulterated and safe for consumption, this includes grapes that are produced for wine. Two different United States (U.S.) Federal Acts govern the safety of grapes-The Food Safety Modernization Act and the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Both of these Acts are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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