FOOD SAFETY CHALLENGES

Transcription

1 Food Safety Management Goes from Farm to Fork Develop a Better Appreciation of Food Safety Needs Across the Farm to Fork Supply Chain Microbial Food Safety of Edible Horticultural Crops National GAPs Program at Cornell University U.S. Foodborne Illness CDC ESTIMATES (Scallan et al., 2011) Major foodborne pathogens (31 organisms) 9.4 million cases/year (6.6 to 13 million) 56,000 hospitalizations (40,000 to 76,000) 1,200 deaths (710 to 2,300) Unspecified illness 20 to 61 million cases/year Combined about 1 in 6 ill every year most very mild but many severe FOOD SAFETY CHALLENGES Chemical Mycotoxins Physical Biological Microbial Allergens Toxins Reported outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods, by agent, (N=532 outbreaks) Reported outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods by vehicle, (N=532 outbreaks) 4.1% 4.3% 4.0% 17.5% 70.1% Bacterial Chemical/Toxin Parasitic Viral Unknown Source Credit FDA/CFSAN 2011 Source Credit FDA/CFSAN

2 Reported illnesses linked to FDA-regulated foods, by vehicle, (N=29,750 illnesses) Types of produce associated with outbreaks, (N=87) Source Credit FDA/CFSAN 2011 Source Credit FDA/CFSAN 2011 Chemical Hazards If not controlled will cause illness Chemicals Pesticides Sanitizers Allergens Undeclared ingredients Cross contaminants Unapproved additives Mycotoxins E.g., patulin Chemical Hazards - Mycotoxins Toxins produced by fungi Primarily Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp. Long-term chronic toxicity of concern Can be carcinogenic Influence immune response Physical Hazards Foreign objects capable of injuring the consumer Glass Wood Stones Hard plastic Metal Biological Hazards If not controlled will cause illness Bacteria, e.g., Salmonella Or their toxins (e.g., Clostridium botulinum toxin) Viruses, e.g., hepatitis A Parasites, e.g., protozoa Cryptosporidium parvum 2

3 Raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts from which human bacterial pathogens have been isolated Human pathogen Bacillus cereus Campylobacter jejuni Clostridium botulinum Escherichia coli O157:H7 Listeria monocytogenes Salmonella Shigella Staphylococcus Produce Alfalfa, cress, mustard, and soybean sprouts, cucumbers Green onions, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, parsley, peppers, spinach Cabbage, mushroom, peppers Alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, celery, cilantro, coriander, hazelnuts Bean sprouts, cabbage, chicory, cucumbers, eggplant, leafy salad greens, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, radishes, tomatoes Alfalfa and mung bean sprouts, Brazil nuts, raw almonds, artichokes, beet greens, cabbage, cantaloupes, cardoon, cauliflower, celery, chili, cilantro, culantro, eggplant, endive, fennel, green onions, lettuce, mustard cress, parsley, peanuts, peppers, pecans, pistachios, salad greens, spinach, strawberries, watermelons Celery, cantaloupes, lettuce, parsley, salad vegetables, scallions Alfalfa sprouts, carrots, lettuce, onion sprouts, parsley, radishes, salad vegetables Yersinia enterocolitica Carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, salad vegetables, tomatoes, watercress Vibrio cholerae Cabbage, lettuce Produce Outbreaks 6 Commodity groups make up > 85% of produce related outbreaks Commodity % produce outbreaks Lettuce/Leafy greens 31% Tomatoes 17% Melons 12% Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro) 11% Cane berries & strawberries 10% Green Onions 7% Total % of 6 top commodities 88% Source: FDA CFSAN Classic Local and Regional Distribution Sprout Outbreaks Since outbreaks Mostly Salmonella Several E. coli O157:H7 Japan radish sprouts July 23, 1996, 8,500 ill One E. coli O105:H4 Recent Multi-state/Multinational Distribution 2011 E. coli O104:H4 Outbreak centered in Northern Germany Cases May 1 June 9 As of June 14, cases, 782 HUS (estimated >100 will need kidney transplants), 37 deaths (including otherwise healthy adults) HUS = hemolytic uremic syndrome 70% women 14 European countries, U.S., Canada Linked to organic sprouts (fenugreek, mung beans, lentils, adzuki beans and alfalfa) Rare hybrid pathotype: EAggEC enteroaggregative verocytotoxin-producing Costs 6/14/11 EU votes to provide $304 million US compensation to European farmers Human costs unknowable 3

4 Good Agricultural Practices A Baseline Prerequisite for Food Safety From the Beginning, Variable Risks Along the Supply-Chain were Recognized Pre-season field Season Site Selection sanitation Variety Pre-harvest sanitation In-season field sanitation Crop Management Industry 1996 FDA 1998 Academia Harvest Logistics Process Control Handling and Treatment Cold Chain and Distribution Control Commodity-Specific GAPs and Food Safety Audit Checklists Melon Tomato Stone fruit Mushroom Lettuce & Leafy Greens Culinary Herbs Green Onions Sprouts Almond Citrus Strawberry Watermelon Blueberries Asparagus FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM Good Agricultural Practices: Growing the World s Safest Strawberries Key Areas for All Scales of Farming and Shipping Water Workers Waste Wildlife Record-keeping Traceability Animal Hosts of Salmonella WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 4

5 WHAT IS THE PROPER ACTION? Water: The Critical Control Point? Sources of Pathogens In Surface Water Ways Storm water Runoff Birds Livestock Wherever water comes into direct contact with fresh produce, its quality may directly determine the potential for pathogen contamination and its persistence. Pets Manure effluent Multiple Risks require Multiple Prevention Hurdles Booster Pump X Urban Centers Compost Facility Run-off Irrigation tailwater 28 WORKER TRAINING: FIELD CREWS, IRRIGATION CREWS, THINNING CREWS, CONTRACT HARVEST LABOR, PACKING, PROCESSING COMPOST AND SOIL AMENDMENTS 5

6 What are the Key Issues? Static piles develop a temperature gradient below thermal kill points Run-off to field Run-off to water sources Particulate aerosols wind Particulate aerosols- spreading Vermin mechanical transfer Transfer to crop Transfer to packing cartons Transfer to harvest surfaces 33 o C 42 o C Measured at 1m At least 55 o C (131 o F) for 3 days Non-regulated o C 1 meter 59 o C Recontamination is possible 32 Composts must meet management guidelines Would you source melons from this site? HARVEST IMPLEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT SANITATION Clean Sanitize..Store Rinse..Re-use SIMPLE SYSTEMS CAN ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND VERIFICATION 6

7 COMMODITY-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE A NEW MODEL FOR BUILDING A SUPPLY CHAIN AUDIT PROGRAM CASE EXAMPLE- A SYSTEMS APPROACH Apple and pear grower routinely uses overhead sprinklers for Evaporative Cooling to control lateseason sunburn on fruit. In 2007, they commissioned a quick preharvest study of the prevalence of indicator fecal coliform and E. coli on fruit in two large ranch blocks 3 miles apart on the river course. The results were low levels of fecal coliforms (FC), average log 1.9 CFU/fruit, and < log 1.0 E.coli (E.c.)/fruit for both blocks. Given these results no further testing was done. Recently, anticipating impacts of the FDA Produce Safety Rulemaking, their major customer required microbiological testing of all lots of fruit. This time the results showed an FC average of log 5.6 CFU/fruit and log 4.3 CFU/fruit for E.c.in Block A and log 2.6 (FC) and 1.5 (E.c.) in downstream Block B. What changes in adjacent land use might have anticipated a shift in hazards? Public Access Trail 2008 Regional Park City of Urbansprawlton Summary Ranchette Development Phase 1 Completed Pump A Ranchette Development Phase 1 Completed 2006 Fresh fruits and vegetables have been associated with significant foodborne illness Illness to Total Servings per Year ratio is staggeringly small Block A Pathogens associated with fruits and vegetables are associated with human or animal feces Pump B Block B Additional Facts 1. Home Layer-chicken increases a. City Ordinance up to 10 per home 2. Ranchettes zoned for up to 50 laying hens, 5 pigs, 5 sheep, 3 horses a. Increasing local-grown cottage industries 3. Penned goats used since 2008 for weed control on river banks 4. Summer Music Festival in Regional Park attracts > 3,000/yr Prevention of contamination throughout the supply chain is preferred An Honest Self-Appraisal is Critical UCGAPs Take Home Messages Haven t Changed: #1 Food Safety Must be Planned From Seeding to Eating #2 Details Make the Difference #3 Food Safety Solutions Don t Have to be Complex or Expensive 7

8 Thank you for your attention! Thank you to Trevor Suslow of UCDavis for sharing his slides 8