Postharvest Working Committee Notes
Produce Safety Alliance
September 8, 2011
Committee members on the call (names captured): Bob Blakely, Edgar Deomano, Barry Eisenberg,Steve Gilman, Michael Hari, Cynthia Haskins, Craig Kahlke, Wesley Kline, Karen Meggen Killinger,Trevor Suslow, Joshua Swiger, Phil Tocco, Lynn Turner, Richard Yudin, Betsy Bihn and Gretchen Wall.
Comments from Cornell
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Challenges: The challenge areas from the August 18 call were reviewed:
- Non-product Materials Storage
- Waste Material
- Outside Grounds
- Glass Control
- Leaks/Lubrication
- Equipment and Utensil Construction – sanitized field equipment
- Temporary Repairs
- Worker Health/Hygiene and Toilet/Handwashing Facilities
- Temperature Control
Feral and domestic cats and domestic dogs were added to the concerns around packing operations.
New challenge areas:
Packing and Handling
Food grade packaging is a challenge and should be addressed. There are many alternative packing materials, e.g. wood containers, garbage bags, reused cartons, recycled banana cartons, Ziploc bags, etc. What is appropriate to use and for what products? Can these materials be sanitized and how? How do you clean and sanitize a packinghouse prior to use especially if it had been used as a shop during the off-season(i.e. iron filing from the shop). What materials are appropriate to use for sorting and grading produce? Not everyone is going to purchase stainless steel (expense). Need to develop alternative suggestions. For example, if wood is used what materials can be used to cover it and how can it be covered with a material that can be cleaned and sanitized. What about washing machines, kid pools, cattle trough to use for washing and rinsing product. Also, need standard operating procedures on how to clean a packinghouse and equipment. How to sanitize utensils used in the field.
Information on post harvest waxes and fungicides should be collected so growers have access to the information in one location. Sanitizers (type, what is available, concentration, contact time, pH affect, etc) are questions that growers ask. Need to collect information that is available and determine if more information is needed. Oklahoma has great article about chlorine usage;UC Davis and Florida have publications on different sanitizers; Ontario has a checklist to help growers decide which one to use based on cost effectiveness (Betsy to get the Ontario info). We need to collect this information and determine if more is needed. Information is needed on water quality to use in a packinghouse and how to disinfect recycled water. Monitoring systems for disinfecting water (mechanical and manual) information should be collected. Information needed to include: what to use for monitoring, how frequently to monitor, how to monitor, where to monitor, frequency of water change, etc.
Note: Packing in the field including coring will be covered by working committee #5. Each of the above needs should be addressed for both organic and non-organic growers. The size of operation is also a factor since cost and feasibility comes into play.
Pest and Animal Control
Bird management (control) is a big issue especially with open structures (materials to use to discourage birds e.g. saran cloth, streamers, owls, etc.). Need information on what works and how to use them. For small packing operations wildlife and domestic animals may be in close proximity to the operation – how close is too close and how to clean if contamination present(e.g. manure). Information is needed on mice/rat and fly control (types of traps, number of traps, now often to service, bait vs. poison, etc.). May need to include methods to discourage bats. Family pets(cats and dogs) should be checked for parasites and have rabies shots. FDA has rules related to salmonella related to animals (we are getting copies).
Microbial Sampling/Testing
Produce testing is beyond small growers. This is not something we want to get into unless it is required. Would need to know what to test for; what labs are reliable; and correct procedures if it is included. Water testing may be needed to verify any recycling system. The water in a packing operation must be potable (drinking water standards). If organic or conventional packing operations need options, to sanitize the water for reuse.
Packinghouse
Materials for packinghouse construction should be discussed. This could be anything from wood, a plastic tunnel, rain shelter, steel, cement block, tents, carpet on the back of pick-up trucks,etc. What are the concerns with these materials? Other design issues include the type of flooring (cement, wood, dirt, etc.), flow of product through the house, fixtures, wastewater from washing produce, intake by buggies or wagons and exit by semi-truck.
Challenge is to define the differences between cross contamination and commingling(products from other farms). Challenge is to focus on equipment in the shed (types, retrofitting wood or other materials to cleanand sanitize)and have different layouts that can be modified by growers as their business changes and are cost effective. Challenge is to identify packing and grading surfaces (counter tops, material covered with plastic, etc.) that can be cleaned and sanitized (Keith Schneider has some info).
Cold storage should be covered: Construction materials, proper size, temperaturecontrol and monitoring (how often, when, calibration), cross contamination (not having other materials such as meat/eggs in the cooler), servicing equipment, etc.
Transportation (Packinghouse to Customer)
Challenge is dealing with pets in trucks from field and delivery trucks. Challenge is how to cover produce from field if no using enclosed trucks (traps, slipcovers over bins, stacking empty box on top of pallets, etc.). Challenge - If need to maintain temperature from the packinghouse to delivery, how to do it without refrigerated truck (deliver at night or early morning, coolers and ice packs for farmer’s markets, Coolbot system in a trailer, etc.). Come up with practical things that growers can do plus provide growersaccess to good information (e.g. temperatures to store and transport product – information available).
Note: Traceability will be covered by working committee # 2
Next Meeting (September 29 at 3 PM EST)
Future conference call dates (all calls to be on Thursdays at 3:00 pm eastern time)
October - 13 and 20
November – 3 and17
December 1 and 16