Amy Schober Food & Nutrition Service, Office of Food Safety Mike Morrelli Agricultural Marketing Service Christina Conell Food & Nutrition Service,

Transcription

1 Amy Schober Food & Nutrition Service, Office of Food Safety Mike Morrelli Agricultural Marketing Service Christina Conell Food & Nutrition Service, Farm to School

2 At the end of this session, you will understand: The application of food safety to Farm to Fork and local produce purchases Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and their relationship to local purchases How to address food safety when writing specifications for local growers

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4 Addresses accidental (unintentional) contamination of food products. The main types of food safety hazards are microbes, chemicals and foreign objects. Accidents can be prevented through safe food practices.

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6 48 Million Americans

7 Source: CDC VitalSigns, June 2011

8 Benefits to Buying Local Food Safety Farm to School Source: USDA Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Photo Credit: Leanne Dubois, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

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10 Farm Soil Water Animals Worker Health & Hygiene 10

11 Require a formal GAPs audit USDA GAPs Audit Third Party Audits Require self-assessment checklist Visit to Confirm 11

12 Checklists Iowa State Cornell UC Davis Penn State Initiates conversation 12

13 Safe drinking water When in contact with plant or produce When harvest washing produce Use surface water source (example: ponds) When not in contact with plant or produce Use for drip irrigation Test for fecal coliforms and/or E.coli prior to use Test soil for coliforms in frequently flooded farm land 13

14 Composted manure Aged manure Location of manure 14

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17 Harvest containers cleaned and sanitized Equipment cleaned periodically Avoid soil or unsafe water contamination Create reasonable barriers to animals 17

18 Good handling practices (SOPs) Avoid cross contamination with equipment or animals (wild and domestic birds) Pest prevention program 18

19 Maintain temperatures Maintain refrigeration units (check for leaks) Load trucks to prevent damage Clean transport vehicles regularly 19

20 One step back; one step forward Date of harvest/pack date Field identification (may be color coded) Worker identification Recordkeeping 20

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22 Maintaining the cold chain is important. Time Refrigeration36 F Room 70 F Body 98 F 0 1 cell 1 cell 1 cell 4 hours 1 cell 16 cells 4,096 cells 6 hours 1 cell 64 cells 262, 144 cells 24 hours 2 cells 16,777,216 4,722,336,483,000,000,000, 000 cells Ohio State University Bulletin 901 ( 22

23 Local Processing Important to avoid Contamination and Microbial Growth during manufacturing Regulations to prevent/reduce pathogens Buildings/Facilities Equipment/Tools Instruments/Controls Hygienic Practices Employee Training

24 Design facility, including walls, ceilings, floors, vents, drains, etc. so they are easy to clean Have a sanitation plan and regular schedule Proper product flow Ventilation Proper/Adequate drainage 24

25 Appropriate food contact surfaces smooth, nonabsorbent, and easy to clean and sanitize Avoid cracks which can catch water and food particles and harbor pathogens Cutting: Use sharp knife Disinfect knife before use Inspect and replace damaged knives 25

26 Maintain and calibrate (ie. Thermometers) Sharpen knives and sanitize regularly Monitor water quality Monitor air quality and filters 26

27 Provide the proper equipment Sink, warm water, soap, disposable paper towels, garbage can Foot controls for faucets to reduce hand contamination 27

28 How to properly wash hands When to change and wear gloves How to calibrate, sanitize, and clean equipment and food contact surfaces Retrain! 28

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30 What type of insurance is needed?

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32 Overview» Procurement basics» Three ways to use specifications and evaluation criteria to target local foods» Resources

33 What Does Local Mean? Within a radius Within a county Within a state Within a region A district s definition of local may change depending on the: Season Product Special events

34 Procurement Regulations Have a purpose, really! Help you get the best quality and price Ensure that program benefits (and taxpayer dollars!):» Are received by eligible schools and children» Are used effectively and efficiently, with no waste or abuse Leave room for flexibility and innovation

35 Procurement Methods Small Purchase Threshold > (Federal Threshold = $150,000) Informal Small Purchase (Requires price quotes from at least 3 bidders) Micro Purchase Formal Sealed Bids (IFBs) & Competitive Proposals (RFPs) (Requires public advertising) Noncompetitive Purchase (value of purchase may not exceed $3,000)

36 Contract Type Introduction/Scope General Descriptions of Goods and Services (AKA Specifications) Timelines and Procedures Technical Requirements Evaluation Criteria Sections of a Solicitation

37 Contract Type Introduction/Scope Sections of a Solicitation» Ex. Farm to school is a priority and want to include as much local as possible. Our goal is to serve 20% local products. General Descriptions of Goods and Services (AKA Specifications)» Ex. Product specifications Timelines and Procedures Technical Requirements» Ex. Determine responsive and responsible vendors Evaluation Criteria Geographic Preference

38 Local Can t Be Used as a Specification FNS regulations and guidance make clear that local (or any geographic area) cannot be used as a product specification or a vendor requirement. Therefore, this is not allowed: This solicitation is for flour from wheat grown and processed within 100 miles of Coopersburg.

39 Potential Specifications, Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria to Target Local Products Such as:» Particular varieties unique to the region» Freshness (e.g. Delivered within 48 hours)» Size of farm» Harvest techniques» Crop diversity» Origin labeling» Able to provide farm visits or class visits

40 Other Things to Consider When Writing Solicitations to Target Local Products Be flexible Don t include unnecessary requirements Consider what a vendor new to the school food market might not know» Condition upon receipt of product» Food safety needs» Size uniformity

41 Additional Production Standards Certified Organic No-till Pesticide Free Grass-fed Cage Free

42 Three Ways to Use Solicitation Language to Target Local Products 1. Use product specifications 2. Use additional requirements to determine vendor responsiveness 3. Use criteria to evaluate vendor proposals

43 1 Use Product Specifications to Target a Local Item Consider requesting: A variety that is unique to the region Products are delivered within 24 or 48 hours of harvest

44 Example: Use Product Specifications Product Specification Granny Smith or local variety, US. Fancy or No. 1, Prefer count boxes per week but willing to consider other pack sizes for September December Delivered within 48 hours of harvest

45 2 Use Additional Requirements to Determine Vendor Responsiveness Remember that you must award to a vendor who is both responsive and responsible! Evaluate responsiveness in any procurement method IFB, RFP or Informal. All vendors must be able to provide the products you need to be considered responsive. You can include additional vendor, including:» Able to provide farm visits» State of origin or farm origin labeling» Provide products grown on a particular size farm

46 Example: Use Criteria to Determine Responsiveness Product Specification Green apples, US. Fancy or No. 1, prefer count boxes per week but willing to consider other pack sizes for September - December Contractor ability to meet all specifications Product quality Delivery Packaging and Labeling Apple Lane Great Granny s Fred s Fuji s Three references, past history Able to provide harvest tour to two 3 rd grade classes October -- Able to provide state of origin on all products -- Delivered within 24 hours of harvest --

47 3 Use Criteria to Evaluate Vendor Proposals Use those same criteria mentioned before, but assign weights to evaluate in an RFP. The amount of weight determines how important the criterion is. To evaluate proposals, think about including:» Able to provide farm visits» State of origin or farm origin labeling» Provide products grown on a particular size farm

48 Example: Use Criteria in an RFP Product Specification Green apples, US. Fancy or No. 1, prefer count boxes per week but willing to consider other pack sizes for September - December Apple Lane Great Granny s Fred s Fuji s Price = Contractor ability to meet all specifications Product quality = 15 Delivery = 10 Packaging and Labeling = Three references, past history = Able to provide farm/facility tour or classroom visits = 5 Able to provide state of origin on all products = Delivered within 24 hours of harvest = possible points

49 Example: San Diego Unified Vendors will provide products: Delivered directly to multiple SDUSD school sites (not a central warehouse). The number of drops is to be determined by the district on a case-by-case basis; Produce should be generally free from insect damage and decay; and, Product must be rinsed, cleaned and packed in appropriate commercial produce packaging, such as waxed cardboard boxes. Standard industry pack (case counts) is required and/or half packs are allowable when it comes to bundled greens.

50 Example: San Diego Unified Vendors will provide products: Grown on farms that are less than 50 acres in size; Grown on farms that grow more than five food crops at one time; Grown on farms that utilize a majority of hand harvesting, hand packing or human labor power in growing, harvesting. and packing of food; Delivered directly to multiple SDUSD school sites (not a central warehouse). The number of drops is to be determined by the district on a case-by-case basis; Produce should be generally free from insect damage and decay; and, Product must be rinsed, cleaned and packed in appropriate commercial produce packaging, such as waxed cardboard boxes. Standard industry pack (case counts) is required and/or half packs are allowable when it comes to bundled greens.

51 Procuring Local Foods Website» Guide» 12 Part Webinar Series» Policy Guidance» Fact Sheets

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