Garden to Table Food Safety. 2 ... If ill, especiall

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Garden to Table
Five Steps to Food Safe Fruit and Vegetable Home
Gardening
Project Funded by CSREES/USDA. Project
2003-5111001713
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Garden to Table Food Safety

• 4-year, USDA funded project
• 5 New England States
• Connecticut
• Maine
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Research and Education
• Master Gardeners Educators

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Objective of Program

• Help gardeners apply Good Agricultural
  Practices or GAP to minimize microbial food
  safety hazards of home grown fruits and
  vegetables from Garden To Table.

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How did we get here?

• Survey of home gardeners across New England
• On-site, follow-up interviews with home
  gardeners in New England

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What did we find?

• Gardeners need more information to minimize
  risk of foodborne illness in home grown fruits
  and vegetables from Garden to Table.

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Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Food Safety
Program

• Original target Commercial growers/harvesters
• Voluntary sanitation and food safety program for
• home gardeners based on the Guide to Minimize
  Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits
  And Vegetables produced by the FDA and USDA in
  1998.

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Produce Safety Concerns Why now?

• Centers for Disease Control estimates, 1990s,
  12 foodborne outbreaks linked to fresh produce.
  
• What does this have to do with your home garden?

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FDA/CFSAN. 2004. Produce safety from
production to consumption2004 action plan to
minimize foodborne illness associated with fresh
produce consumption. http//www,cfsan.fda.gov/dm
s/prodpla2.html
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Good Agricultural Practices and the Home Gardener

• Home Gardens - many issues the same
• Water safety
• Domestic/Wild animals
• Use of compost
• Use of manure
• Personal hygiene/sanitation
• Post-harvest handling and temperature control

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Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

• Goal reduce microbial risks in home grown fruits
  and vegetables to make produce safer.
• Reduce risk of foodborne illness
• Integrate food safety into home gardening
  practices

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Food Safety Review
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You wont spot unsafe food by using your senses
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From http//lancaster.unl.edu/food/pizza.shtml
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Foodborne Illness Symptoms

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Fever

A tiny taste will not protect you
as few as 10-100 bacteria could make you sick!
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Foodborne IllnessPeople at Greatest Risk
Infants Children Pregnant women Elderly Peop
le with weakened immune systems
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Foodborne Illness Dangers

• Cases 76 million per year
• Hospital 325,000 per year
• Deaths 5,000 per year
• Cost 10-83 billion per year

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FDA/CFSAN. 2004. Produce safety from
production to consumption2004 action plan to
minimize foodborne illness associated with fresh
produce consumption. http//www,cfsan.fda.gov/dm
s/prodpla2.html
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Foodborne IllnessMost likely sources

• Potentially Hazardous Foods

• Ready to Eat Foods

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Food Safety Hazards3 Types of Contamination
Physical Chemical Biological
Plastic Glass Metal Wood Bandages Jewelry and
other personal items
Allergens Pesticides Sanitizers Lubricants
Parasites Viruses Bacteria
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Chemical Food Safety Hazards

• Use pesticides according to manufacturers
  directions
• Keep chemicals in original labeled containers
• Check well water for chemical hazards
• Toxins from mold
• - e.g. patulin in apples

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Biological Food Safety Hazards What are the
differences?

• Parasites
• Viruses
• Bacteria

Cryptosporidium parvum
Norwalk virus
Salmonella spp.
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Sources of Biological Contamination

• Animals (wild and domestic, and manure)
• People
• Environment

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Source of harmful bacteria/viruses in
fruits/vegetables

• Animal/human intestinal tract
• Salmonella
• E.coli O157H7
• Human
• Shigella
• Hepatitis A virus
• Norovirus
• Staphylococcus
• Environment
• Listeria
• Clostridium
• E.coli O157H7
• Water
• Most of the above

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To Grow, Bacteria Need

• Food source
• Moisture
• Low in acidity (high pH)
• Oxygen
• Correct temperature
• Time to grow

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To Grow, Bacteria Need The Right Temperature
140 º F
Danger Zone
40 ºF
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Potential Sources of Contamination for Home-grown
Produce

• Soil
• Water
• Manure/Compost
• Wild and Domestic Animals
• Personal Hygiene/Sanitation
• Containers
• Wash and Rinse Water/Inadequate drying
• Post-harvest handling and temperature control

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Five Steps to Food Safe Home Gardening

• Step 1 - Preparing the garden for planting
• Step 2 - Maintaining the garden
  (planting/growing)
• Step 3 - Harvesting garden produce
• Step 4 - Storing garden produce
• Step 5 Preparing and serving
  garden produce

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Personal hygiene
Important at all steps

• Proper handwashing - after working in the garden,
  using the bathroom, and before preparing fruits
  and vegetables
• Be aware if illness symptoms. If ill, especially
  diarrhea, have someone else do the gardening.
• Cover open cuts and sores

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Preparing garden for planting Use of Manure
While animal manure can provide nutrients, it
can also be a source human pathogens. Fresh
manure not recommended for use, however
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Preparing Garden for Planting Manure
If used, be aware

• Best if manure thoroughly composted
• Apply fresh manure in the late fall, after
  harvest
• If using fresh manure just prior to growing
  season
• Spread two weeks before planting
• NO harvesting until 120 days after application
• Incorporate into soil NO sidedressing
• Avoid root or leafy crops year of manure
  application

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Preparing Garden for Planting Compost

• Properly managed compost can produce a safe
  product

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Preparing Garden for Planting Compost
Pathogens can be present in compost materials
with more in animal waste and meat/dairy scraps.
What should you do?

• Animal waste or meat/dairy scraps should not be
  used.
• Temperature should be at least 130oF for 3 days
  to destroy pathogens
• Size at least 27 cubic feet - smaller needs
  more attention to get heat.
• Turn turn pile regularly to aerate

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Maintaining the Garden Water Safety

• Water can be a source of a variety of pathogens.
• Know the source of
  water used for your
  garden.

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Maintaining the Garden Water Safety

• Municipal or public water systems - best source
  and lowest risk of water for any use.
• Surface water (lakes, ponds or streams) more
  likely to have microbial contaminants
• Private wells from ground water - safe if tested
  annually
• Use only clean, potable/drinkable water to water
  or wash produce close to or at harvest and during
  post-harvest handling.

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Maintaining the Garden Water Safety -
Protecting well water

• Keep away from pollution sources
• Check well casing, cap, age, type, depth
• Test 1-2 times/year

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Maintaining the Garden Water Safety -
Protecting Water

• Backflow What is it?
• Occurs when contaminated water (non-potable)
  gets drawn into or flows back into clean water
  (potable) supply
• Example Back Siphoning

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Maintaining the Garden Water Safety -
Protecting Water

• Backflow Prevention

• Disconnect sprayers or chemical containers
  from a hose attached to an outside faucet after
  use
• Purchase backflow prevention devices
• Hardware store, plumbing supply
• Hose bib for end of hose
• Consult plumber, check building codes.

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Examples of Hose Bibs
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Maintaining the Garden Wild and Domestic Animals

• Animals are a source of pathogens
• Keep pets out of garden
• Deter wild animals
• Minimize vegetation around gardens
• Deterrents - fencing, noise
• New ideas garden shops
• Call Cooperative Extension for help

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Maintaining the Garden Organic Gardening

• Microbial food safety issues are a problem
  whether a gardener uses organic or conventional
  gardening methods.
• Microorganisms are in the environment - air, soil
  or water.
• Five Steps to a food safe home
  garden must still be followed

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Harvesting Garden Produce
Humans are major source of disease transmission
in food.

• Personal hygiene washing, covering wounds
• Change, wash dirty clothes/shoes after working in
  the garden
• Harvest using clean,
  food-grade containers

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Harvesting Garden Produce

• Dispose of damaged fruit
• Dont eat directly from the garden! Properly wash
  all fruits and vegetables
• prior to eating

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Post-harvest Handling Storage/Washing
Keys to storage and safety/quality

• Ripen some produce before refrigeration e.g.
  apples, tomatoes, melons.
• Store certain produce in cool, dry, well
  ventilated, clean places e.g. onions, potatoes.
• Store produce above meat, poultry, fish - avoid
  cross-contamination by separation.
• Look for signs of spoilage - throw out
• Refrigerate raw pre-cut or cooked produce in
  covered containers
• See chart for different storage conditions

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Post-harvest Handling Storage/Washing
Should you wash produce after harvest and
before storage ?

• To Wash or Not to Wash
• That is the Question?

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Post-harvest Handling Storage/Washing

• Washing before storage requires thorough drying
  to prevent spoilage and mold growth
• Not washing before storage - shake, rub, brush
  dirt off. Refrigerate in clean, plastic bags.
• Some produce should not be washed
  before refrigerated storage (e.g. berries)
• See chart for recommendations
• Always wash just prior to eating

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Post-harvest Handling Washing

• Very cold water may cause pathogens to be
  absorbed into the produce through stem or blossom
  end
• Wash water should not be more then 10 degrees
  colder then the produce.

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Post-harvest Handling Preparing

• Practice good personal hygiene.
• Wash hands before preparation
• Wash produce in cool, clean running water just
  before eating or preparing to help remove
  filth and bacteria

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Post-harvest Handling Preparing

• Do not use soap or detergent
• Bleach not recommended for home use
• Wash/scrub the skin/rind with brush to help
  minimize filth or bacteria transfer to eatable
  portion

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Post-harvest Handling Preparing/Serving/Preservin
g

• Cut away bruised or damaged areas
• Avoid cross-contamination
• Keep work area and utensils clean.
• Refrigerate cooked
• leftovers in covered
• container

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USDA Endorsed Preservation Resources
National Center for Home Preservation http//www.
uga.edu/nchfp/index.html
Home Food Preservation Resources for Safe Food
Preservation http//foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/preserv
e.html
Home Canning.com (Ball/Kerr) http//www.homecannin
g.com/usa/
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Key Food Safety Principles for Home-grown Fruits
and Vegetables

• Practice safe soil preparation prior to planting
  
• Practice safe garden maintenance during
  planting and growing of fruits/vegetables
• Practice safe harvest and post-harvest handling
  including
• Good personal hygiene
• Time and temperature control
• Cross-contamination prevention

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Questions ???
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