AgNet DEMO

Category: Food Safety

  • Capitalize on Conservation Funding and Enhance Produce Safety

    The Farm Innovation Project will deliver hands-on conservation and produce-safety training to growers.

    By Kristin Woods

    Conservation funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) can help growers implement good land stewardship practices in an economically sustainable way. While these practices may affect pathogen movement in the farm environment, they are not meant to reduce produce safety risk. Additional consideration must be given around how implementing specific practices could affect the safety of produce.

    MICROIRRIGATION

    The USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can provide cost-share reimbursement for the installation of microirrigation. This practice reduces overall water use compared to overhead irrigation by limiting water delivery directly to the roots of the plant and reducing evaporation. On some crops, microirrigation also reduces plant diseases caused by excess moisture accumulating on the leaves.

    From a food-safety perspective, microirrigation can reduce risk. For crops with the harvestable portion above ground, limiting water contact with that portion reduces the chance of pathogens from the water attaching to the surface of the produce. Additionally, the use of microirrigation can minimize the chances of water contacting produce by reduced splashing from the direct water to root application. If you are getting water from an open water source such as a pond, river or canal, the food-safety benefits are even greater since these water sources can be more likely to carry pathogens.

    When using surface water, a filter needs to be installed to prevent debris and solids from the water source from clogging irrigation lines. Because the use of water is reduced with microirrigation, this sometimes makes the use of novel methods for irrigation water treatment more feasible, such as UV light, which is more easily implemented with reduced flow volumes.

    ROTATIONAL GRAZING

    Growers operating diversified farms with both produce and animals can benefit from USDA NRCS EQIP and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funds to help implement rotational grazing. While EQIP provides a one-time cost-share reimbursement, CSP provides ongoing payments based on the specific practices and the acreage that those practices are applied to.

    In the case of rotational grazing, EQIP might help with the upfront capital cost of cross fencing, while CSP helps a rancher enhance soil health and forage quality long-term. Animals can graze primary crop debris, graze cover crops and simultaneously apply organic soil amendments (manure) to a growing area. To maximize animal production and forage, carefully considering the number of animals and the available forage throughout the rotation is important.

    Because forage recovers faster when not overgrazed, land that is properly rotationally grazed can be more productive overall. For goats, rotational grazing also has the added benefit of helping reduce parasite loads, since the barber pole worm larvae, commonly affecting goats, resides primarily in the bottom three inches of grass.

    Implemented properly, rotational grazing can lead to more productive land.

    Whenever animals are present on a farm with fresh produce, there are additional food-safety concerns. Adherence to the National Organic Program 90/120 rule where manure is applied at least 120 days prior to harvesting crops where the edible portion of the crop has soil contact and 90 days prior to harvesting of other crops will reduce risk.

    Adjacent to animal production areas, you might also consider short vegetative buffers that will help reduce manure runoff into growing areas or water sources. Additionally, woody buffers may help with wind spread of pathogens and will provide habitat for pest predators and pollinators.

    CONSERVATION BUFFERS

    Conservation buffers are also supported by EQIP, CSP and several other USDA programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and Wetlands Reserve Program. This broad support is due to the expansive benefits of conservation buffers to water quality, erosion preservation, and support for pollinators and insect predators.

    Conservation buffers are small strips of land strategically located to catch pollutants from entering water sources and to reduce erosion. According to NRCS, buffers can remove up to 50% of nutrients and pesticides from runoff, up to 60% of pathogens and up to 75% of sediment. Smart implementation also provides a diversity of habitat to support native plant, animal and microbial species, ultimately improving the environment for pollinators and pest predators. The ability of buffer strips to catch nutrient runoff and control erosion via wind spread and water runoff potentially reduces food-safety risk by reducing the physical movement of manure and general spread of pathogens in a farm environment.

    FARM INNOVATION PROJECT

    In December 2020, Alabama Extension, along with partners from the Deep South Food Alliance, Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Alcorn State University and the National Farmers Union, piloted a hands-on training program that will rollout across Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia this year. The program, geared toward small and limited resource growers, aims to improve farm viability by helping growers balance food safety and conservation concerns.

    Known as the Farm Innovation Project, the program will bring hands-on training on water conservation, water quality, soil health, rotational grazing and produce safety practices. It will also bring access to technology-based resources to farms and rural communities. Additionally, participants in the program will learn about USDA conservation funds available to help implement practices on their farms.

    To find out more about this project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, go to aces.edu/farm_innovation.

    ACCESSING FUNDS

    The first step in accessing funds to implement conservation practices is to visit your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to register and receive an FSA farm number. Once registered, visit your local NRCS office to learn about conservation programs in your area. Due to the pandemic, be sure to call ahead and make an appointment. More information on accessing NRCS programs can be found at nrcs.usda.gov.

    Kristin Woods is a regional Extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

  • Know What Sanitizers to Use and How to Apply Them

    In the age of COVID-19, sanitizer applications are essential for producers to keep their workforce healthy.

    Laurel Dunn, Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia, offers several guidelines for using sanitizers and other cleaning products in facilities where vegetable and specialty crops are cleaned and packaged.

    Not All Sanitizers are Appropriate

    Dunn

    The first step is to realize not all sanitizers are appropriate for equipment or other areas where produce is being handled.

    “Sanitizers in general are a bit trickier because it depends on where you’re using them. If you’re using them to clean your floors or your bathrooms or things like that, you can use whatever,” Dunn said.

    “If you’re using anything that’ll contact your food contact surfaces; your conveyors, packing equipment and stuff like that, then you have to go through your EPA registrations and make sure you’re using something that’s appropriate and approved for use on the food and is also adequate to inactivate something like the coronavirus.

    “You might be trying to deal with your microbial concerns by using that sanitizer, and in doing so, put a chemical hazard right in your food product.”

    Other Tips

    Another tip to remember is that sanitizers work better on surfaces that are free of dirt. Also, remember that sanitizers need time to work so don’t spray and then wipe off immediately.

    “Another thing we see a lot too, and I’m guilty in my own house, is using a sanitizer and spraying it on dirt, which, that doesn’t do a lot of good. You need to have it pretty clean,” Dunn said.

    “Then also spraying a sanitizer and wiping it off immediately. A lot of our sanitizers need like 30 seconds to a couple of minutes to work. You have to make sure you’re using the right thing, but also make sure you’re using it correctly.”

    Dunn said COVID-19 is a “relatively puny virus” compared to others so it will react quickly to the various sanitizers available.

  • Safety Training Program Protects Ag Workers During the Pandemic

    By Kimberly L. Morgan

    Throughout the food supply chain, producers, processors, distributors, wholesalers and retailers seek economies of scale and scope to improve profit margins, while delivering safe, consistent, reliable and relatively low-cost foods to consumers. At the farm level, owners make decisions to minimize production and harvesting costs, relying on human resources and scientific advances to address the dynamic uncertainties unique to the agricultural industry.

    During the 2020 global pandemic, every individual, household, company and government had to adjust day-to-day behaviors. Yet nationwide, few food shortages occurred, and minimal increases in prices have been documented to date. The U.S. agricultural industry continued to provide healthy and safe food, due in large part to the adaptability of farmworkers, supervisors and owners.

    Workers labor long hours in physically demanding conditions, with paychecks dependent on speedy, accurate and careful handling of fruits and vegetables to ensure high-quality, safe produce is delivered to buyers. The economic implications of the highly transmissible coronavirus range from short-term negative impacts on worker health and farm profitability to the immeasurable losses of life.

    To proactively educate farm owners, supervisors and workers on how best to do their jobs under pandemic conditions and preserve their health and livelihood, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Farm Labor Supervisor COVID-19 Safety Training program was developed.

    With decades of experience educating nearly 1,500 farm labor supervisors on how best to protect farmworkers’ lives, the training team has delivered six webinars in both Spanish and English to 775 participants. The training consists of three sections:

    PART 1: WHAT IS THE CORONAVIRUS OR COVID-19?

    Motivated by the trainers’ observations that farmworkers tend to distrust technology used in the fields (for instance, the scan systems that track production), this section addresses their concerns by sharing information regarding the COVID-19 testing and health-monitoring procedures specific to agricultural operations.

    Picnic benches with barriers help protect farmworkers from COVID-19 during lunch breaks.

    Farmworkers often fail to recognize COVID-19 symptoms and/or don’t think it is a problem that will affect their health as many are relatively young and work primarily outdoors. To mitigate this prevailing mindset, general information is included about the virus, whom it targets, Florida statistics, typical symptoms, case studies and transmission examples.

    Ag-related COVID-19 cases are shared to relay facts that the disease is a real and persistent threat to the health and wellbeing of farmworkers, and to communicate that there are things workers can do to protect themselves and others. Florida Department of Health statewide COVID-19 infection and mortality rates by ethnicity, age and county are shared to show the real-time relevance and impact of the virus on communities.

    PART 2: COVID IN AGRICULTURE

    Building on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, UF/IFAS experts apply their firsthand knowledge of the day-to-day working environment on Florida’s farms and share best practice recommendations to help protect farmworkers’ lives. As local and state agencies work to provide farmworker access to COVID-19 testing sites, this information is shared. Supervisors are encouraged to adopt prevention and control tips and to post CDC-approved worker education resources in appropriate languages. The training stresses the importance of practicing social distancing, wearing masks and handwashing both on and off the farm.

    PART 3: PROTECTING SUPERVISORS AND WORKERS

    Farmworkers are typically paid hourly. Time off due to COVID-19 symptoms or quarantining for 14 days after exposure to a COVID-19-positive coworker results in costs to both the worker and the employer. The employers may need to provide sick pay and find and hire a replacement.

    The training provides information on financial support programs from various agencies that are available for both farmworkers and owners to address these concerns. Since harvest practices usually are built around teams working in proximity, creative ways are suggested to complete the work while maintaining social distancing. This includes forming groups that share work assignments and living arrangements to minimize exposure during shift changes.

    Also included in this section of the training is the latest CDC general guidelines and the Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan. Other topics covered are:

    • How to screen workers
    • The importance of employees reporting to their employers if they begin to feel sick
    • Areas that put workers at most risk and how to make them safer
    • Handling sick time
    • Assigning responsibility to ensure practices are followed
    • Numerous resource websites

    Dates for future training and responses to frequently asked questions related to protecting farmworkers from COVID-19 will be posted on the UF/IFAS Farm Labor Supervisor Training Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FLSTraining15).

  • Safe Food Production Training to be Available to Florida’s Small and Beginning Farmers

    Michelle Danyluk in her lab at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, Florida. Photo taken 11-29-17

    November 19, 2020

    By: Ruth Borger, 517-803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu

    LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — A new opportunity for Florida’s small and medium-sized produce farmers will become a reality with the support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) grant designed to produce and provide easy-to-access training in safe food production methods to underserved farmers.

    Faculty from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida A&M are partnering to serve this audience with online programming that will support them being viable and competitive in the marketplace.

    Florida ranks second in the nation for vegetable production, behind California, and produces 63% of the nation’s total citrus according to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service. From 2012 to 2017, Florida continued to increase its number of small farms by 20% to 14,072 small farms, which represents 29.6% of all commercial operations per the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

    Florida remains fifth in the nation in the number of beginning farmers (31%; USDA NASS, 2019). Yet, this audience struggles to participate in educational workshops that can support their success and provide needed information on how to implement safe food production best practices into their operations.

    It’s not for a lack of interest, said Michelle Danyluk, UF/IFAS professor of food science and human nutrition and one of the grant’s leaders. 

    “Many small and beginning farmers often work off-farm to support their families and simply cannot afford the time to attend traditional day-long workshops,” said Danyluk.

    According to 2019 figures from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, beginning farm operators in Florida are more likely (67%) to work off the farm in addition to managing their farm than their established counterparts (45%). The need to provide workshops remotely is further heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The successful completion of this community outreach project is anticipated to generate more than 20 remote learning modules and eight instructor-led webinar workshops. These materials will target underserved operators of small and medium-sized farms, beginning farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers.

    These remote learning experiences will give participants a new portal to access food safety training information important for their own understanding and for use in training employees and other farm workers. They will also have an improved understanding of basic food safety principles and practices that support the production of safe food, as well as Food Safety Modernization Act compliance, through the visualization of key food safety issues discovered through video demonstrations and other presentations captured in online content and live streamed.

    Specific topics include:

    • Providing food safety training to employees
    • Food safety recordkeeping
    • Practicing Food Safety During Harvesting
    • Evaluating Surface Water and Distribution Systems
    • Sanitation Monitoring and Verification

    The $319,273 grant is part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) for food safety education, training, and technical assistance projects that addresses the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers, food hubs, farmers’ markets, and others. FSOP helps the development of new food safety education and outreach programs in local communities and expand upon existing food safety education and outreach programs that address the needs of small, specialized audiences whose education needs have not previously been adequately addressed. FSOP helps all types of farmers and businesses that have the education and tools they need to be successful and comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act.

  • UF/IFAS Extension To Assist in FDACS Project Connecting Food-Insecure Families With Florida-Grown Produce

    By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu

    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program (FNP) is among the organizations partnering on a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)-led grant project to fight food insecurity in several rural Florida communities.

    commissioner
    Nikki Fried
    Florida Agriculture Commissioner

    In a virtual press conference last Thursday, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced the project, funded by a $100,000 Walmart Foundation grant and benefiting selected food banks in Flagler, Highlands, Levy, Putnam, Walton and Palm Beach counties.

    “Despite Florida growing over 300 commodities and enough fresh produce to feed 150 million Americans, nearly 3 million Floridians suffer from food insecurity, including 850,000 children – and this was before the public health and economic crises of COVID-19,” Commissioner Fried said. “We’ve had to get creative to help fight chronic hunger, and that includes public-private partnerships, particularly in rural areas. That’s why we’re so grateful to the Walmart Foundation for their generous support, providing $100,000 to rural food banks and farmers that will help Florida’s families in need. This partnership is a great example of government, the private sector, and nonprofits coming together to serve our neighbors during a crisis.”

    Karla Shelnutt, UF/IFAS Extension state program leader for nutrition and principal investigator of FNP, spoke on the call in her capacity as vice president of the (UF-unaffiliated) Living Healthy in Florida board, which is a direct support organization of FDACS.

    Karla Shelnutt

    “This work aligns perfectly with the Living Healthy in Florida mission,” Shelnutt said. “COVID-19 has resulted in a significant increase in the unemployment rate in Florida, which has led to more and more families visiting food banks and pantries for assistance. Many of these programs have been unable to meet this increase in demand. This grant initiative is going to make a huge impact for several rural food banks and pantries to obtain the infrastructure needed to help meet this demand and increase their capacity to serve.”

    Shelnutt explained that the project merges her roles, as UF/IFAS Extension FNP public health specialists will partner with the recipient food banks to provide a consultation to determine infrastructure and nutrition education needs.

    “The Family Nutrition Program will lend the expertise of our public health specialists to provide one-on-one consultations to each participating organization to help them assess their space and identify ways to not only expand their infrastructure but also to encourage families to make healthier eating choices,” she said. “This work also aligns perfectly with UF/IFAS Extension priorities to increase access to healthy food for all Floridians.”

    Another way the project is accomplishing that access is by connecting Florida-fresh produce to food-insecure families. A nonprofit farmer network, the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Excellence and Conservation (CSAEC), will provide pre-made produce boxes to the selected food banks for distribution to families.

    “Partnering with these food pantries will make a difference in many lives, and we are honored to play a small role in it,” Shelnutt said. She also expressed gratitude to both the Walmart Foundation for supporting the “innovative solution that will help feed hungry Floridians, decrease commodity waste, and increase the operational capacity of rural food banks and pantries,” as well as Commissioner Fried for “her commitment to bringing more awareness to food security issues throughout our state.”

    Find more information on the program in FDACS’s press release at tinyurl.com/y73pdkby. Video of the press conference, courtesy of FDACS, is also available at tinyurl.com/yb3joul4.

  • Food Safety in Light of COVID-19

    With millions of American workers staying home to aid public health efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the security of America’s food supply is more important than ever before. It’s crucial that growers are taking the appropriate measures to ensure food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    town hall

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration do not consider COVID-19 to be a foodborne illness. In addition, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of the disease.

    GOOD HYGIENE
    Experts at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) advise produce growers, harvesters, packers and coolers to continue to follow the good hygiene practices they already have in place as part of their food safety programs when handling produce. This includes hand washing and cleaning and sanitizing surfaces often that may contact food or hands.

    Many growers are already participating in voluntary audits to verify that their fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards.

    FARMWORKER SAFETY

    Mark Lander, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, says that agricultural workers are essential to a stable and steady food supply.

    UF/IFAS held a food safety webinar last week, where Lander shared some information about farmworker safety.

    “The conversation starts locally,” Lander says. “We want to educate our growers, educate the community and our workforce as they come into Marion County, or in any county, on how to take care of yourself and your surrounding workforce.” Identifying local healthcare resources and providing labor with those resources before their arrival can also be helpful, he says.

    If a COVID-19 case is identified at your facility, Lander suggests calling your local Health Department. At that point, the Health Department will conduct interviews and identify close contacts to the infected person. The Health Department will also make testing and monitoring recommendations to reduce possible spread at the site, as well work with the labor force to identify if the group is leaving the area. If so, they will discuss precautions for their next destination.

    To ensure farmworker safety and minimize the spread of the virus, growers should implement the following precautions:

    • Promote healthy hygiene practices
    • Implement worksite health screenings
    • Post signs on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 in appropriate languages for all staff to comprehend
    • Avoid use of sharing items that are not easily cleaned, sanitized or disinfected
    • Ensure that ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air
    • Discourage on-site communal gathering
    • Modify commuting practices

    For more information regarding food safety and COVID-19, here are some resources:

    Ashley Robinson, a communications intern for AgNet Media, wrote this article.

  • COVID-19 Guidelines for Agricultural Operations

    By Laurel L Dunn for UGA CAES Newswire

    Adam Brannen, a student worker on the UGA Tifton Campus, weighs tomatoes at the Blackshank Farm. Clint Thompson July 16, 2014

    Farmers and food processors take routine steps to reduce the likelihood of foodborne pathogens, like Salmonella and E. coli, contacting our food and causing illness. The procedures that our food industry takes on a daily basis are also effective in reducing the chances that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 will come in contact with the food we eat.

    There is currently no evidence that the coronavirus is spread through contaminated food. This is in part because the virus primarily targets cells in the respiratory tract (lungs) rather than organs in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines), and because acids in the stomach likely inactivate ingested virus before it can cause harm.

    During the current pandemic and other viral outbreaks, there are further considerations that farms and agricultural businesses must take in order to protect their workers and customers despite the usual safety of our food supply.

    Farms, packinghouses and food processors

    Sick workers should never be allowed to come to work, and they should understand that there is no punishment for them if and when they call in sick.

    Encourage distancing of at least 6 feet between workers at all time, including on buses transporting groups of workers to the field and on the packing line when possible. Only one employee should be in the cab of a truck, and frequently touched surfaces like the steering wheel or door handles should be cleaned and disinfected when passengers leave or enter a vehicle.

    Frequently touched surfaces within the farm or facility should be cleaned and disinfected throughout the day and between shift changes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends a list of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved disinfectants that are effective against coronavirus. A solution of 5 tablespoons of bleach in 1 gallon of water may also be used.

    U-pick operations, farmers markets, farm supply stores and CSAs

    Post signs stating rules to be followed at the entrance. Keep them short and easy to read. Rules should include washing hands (or using hand sanitizer if washing is not possible) upon arrival; wearing a mask, bandana or scarf; maintaining 6 feet of distance between other patrons; and requesting vendor assistance to select items instead of handling items themselves.

    Indoor markets may consider putting vendors or high-demand items outside so that patrons do not have to enter the building. For items inside, consider posting a price list outside and having an employee retrieve items, or set a reasonable limit on the amount of time each customer may stay inside to do business.

    Have one person dedicated to handling payments. Conduct transactions online or over the phone when possible, and require credit or debit cards for in-person transactions, since paper money cannot be sanitized.

    U-pick operations should clean and disinfect all picking baskets and equipment between customers. When in the field, customers must only touch fruit they plan to pick.

    University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has further guidance, in English and Spanish, including materials for farms, packinghouses, community gardens, farmers markets, food banks, agribusinesses and consumers on its emergency resources page at extension.uga.edu/emergencies.

  • Food Safety a Top Priority in Alabama Produce Industry

    By Katie Nichols, Communications Specialist/Alabama Cooperative Extension System

    Food safety is an important component in the Alabama produce industry.

    AUBURN University, Ala. – With Alabama’s growing season in full swing, produce growers are working to ensure continuing food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC, USDA and FDA agree that there is no indication the virus can infect consumers through food or food packaging.

    Good Agricultural Practices

    Alabama Extension food safety regional extension agent Kristin Woods said the produce industry uses Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to help protect against foodborne illness.

    Woods said that many growers go through voluntary audits to verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards.

    “Food system workers — including harvesters, packers, processing line workers and others — are critical to  a safe and consistent food supply in the U.S.,” Woods said. “In fact, a Department of Homeland Security issued guidance recognized agricultural production, food processing, distribution, retail and food service as well as allied industries workers as essential workers.”

    Health of Agricultural Workers

    Woods said worker health is crucial to a stable supply.

    “Farms already have food safety protocols in place to preserve the safety of freshly harvested products, but now there are also enhanced procedures to protect employees from the virus,” she said. “These procedures protect workers during harvest and in packinghouses so that producers can keep food flowing from farm to table.”

    Woods said consumers should know some key facts about the produce industry.

    • Food system workers are highly trained. These workers undergo extensive training to prevent the hazards that cause foodborne illness. They have the knowledge to assess risks on the farm, during processing, at retail and in the kitchen.
    • If a worker tests positive for COVID-19, they go home. Individuals who come in contact with an infected person should self-quarantine.
    • Processing facilities have enhanced procedures to frequently clean and sanitize high-traffic surfaces. This virus, like others, can survive on surfaces for an extended time making cleaning and sanitizing vital.
    • There is no food shortage in the U.S. Shoppers may see empty grocery store shelves in the short-term. However, many packinghouses are shifting gears from food service accounts to retail accounts. This switch takes time to see on the grocery store shelf.

    Woods encourages shoppers to exercise patience instead of stockpiling.

    “Shifting our food supply from foodservice to retail in a short amount of time is not an easy job,” she said.

    To read the whole story, see food safety.

  • Peach Crew Safety a Concern for Farmers During COVID-19

    By Clint Thompson

    Pictured is a file photo of peaches on a tree.

    Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, says the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced peach producers and farming operations to take extra precautions when protecting their crews from becoming sick.

    “They have separate crews so they’re trying to keep the crews a little more separated this year. But the biggest thing that they’ve all said to me is they’re trying to keep the crews away from the outside world,” Cook said.

    Farmers limit the workers to the amount of time they’re exposed to other people that are not part of their specific crew.

    “They’re trying to help reduce the amount of time they’re having to spend at the store or at the bank. Once a week they carry them to the bank and once a week they carry them to the grocery store,” Cook said. “To the farmer, if their crews get sick and they can’t pick peaches, then we’re in big trouble.”

    Cook said some peach workers have been in place since February when farms started the peach pruning peach process. The second crews are now in place to help thin the peaches since a lot more people and hands are required. These peach crews also include those who’ll work in the packing sheds and help harvest once trees are ready.

    Cook estimates that there are 10 to 12 workers in one crew, though, multiple crews may ride the same bus to a particular orchard. The workers are not close together out in the fields. Each one has a specific tree they work on, and trees are normally spaced 16 feet apart.

     “When they are thinning, the ride there is as close as they are going to get to each other. When they’re out in the field, they’re not really near each other,” Cook said.

  • COVID-19 and Food Safety: Fact and Fiction for Food Production

    By: Ruth Borger, University of Florida

    Practice good hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water.

    LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — Consumers are being bombarded with tips for what to do with their groceries during the coronavirus crisis. Leave them in the garage for three days? Wash the produce with soapy water? Wipe all packaging down with disinfectant wipes?

    Listen to the science, say University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Food Science and Human Nutrition faculty. Food production safety measures secure the food supply.

    “There is consistent agreement among the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19,” explained Michelle Danyluk,  UF/IFAS professor of food microbiology. “The FDA has also issued guidance that if an employee tests positive for COVID-19 they do not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or be withdrawn from the market.”

    Michelle Danyluk and colleague Travis Chapin, a state specialized UF/IFAS Extension agent for food safety, work at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center. They advise that produce growers, harvesters, packers, and coolers should continue to follow the good hygiene practices they already have in place (e.g., washing hands and cleaning and sanitizing surface that may contact food or hands, often) as part of their food safety programs when handling produce.
     

    Danyluk and colleague Travis Chapin, a state specialized UF/IFAS Extension agent for food safety, work at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center. They advise that produce growers, harvesters, packers, and coolers should continue to follow the good hygiene practices they already have in place (e.g., washing hands and cleaning and sanitizing surface that may contact food or hands, often) as part of their food safety programs when handling produce.

    They acknowledge that there has been some confusion about sanitation practices. FDA and CDC do not recommend any additional “disinfection” in food facilities beyond routine cleaning at this time due to concerns around COVID-19. The primary way to control Coronavirus infection is to prevent spread between people, including workers. Farms, harvesters, and coolers should continue their vigilance around general hygiene and food safety practices.

    “Coronaviruses need a living host (human or animal) to grow in and cannot multiply on produce or on common touch or food contact surfaces,” explained Michelle Danyluk, professor of food microbiology.