Around half of all foreign farms supplying fresh produce to the US that have been inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recent years have had a written food safety plan, while nearly all of those inspected have had worker hygiene training in place.
This was the positive message delivered by produce safety specialist Crystal McKenna at the United Fresh Produce Association's Washington Public Policy Conference on 5 October, in a presentation on foreign producers.
McKenna, of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, discussed the 39 foreign farm inspections conducted by the FDA since 2006, highlighting the criteria used to select farms, such as entry data, links to previous foodborne illnesses and the volume of commodities, The Packer reported.
'We have an emerging interest in foreign farm inspections and I think the trend is going to increase,' she noted.
In the five-year period, FDA conducted inspections of farms producing 22 different products, including asparagus, bananas, bell peppers, cantaloupes, green onions, mangoes, tomatoes, watermelons and other commodities.
'The good news is that 19 out of 39 had a written food safety plan,' McKenna said. 'That shows people are thinking about good agricultural practices.'
However, only one out of 39 had a policy relating to flooding in place, she said.
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