The Horticultural Development Company (HDC) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) have jointly funded the production of a new fact sheet for fruit and vegetable growers.
Written by Dr Jim Monaghan and Dr Mike Hutchison, the fact sheet, entitled Monitoring microbial food safety of fresh produce, provides an overview of the main food poisoning organisms posing a risk to fresh produce, summarises the possible indicator species you can test for, how to interpret the results and also offers a resume of the appropriate corrective action where required.
The fact sheet is part of a package produced by HDC and FSA to help growers. The project arose as a result of an FSA review of production practices that can reduce the risk of microbial contamination during the production of crops that are likely to be eaten uncooked, in an effort to understand more about how UK growers have been addressing the risks of microbial contamination of their crops.
Feedback from the study identified that growers “needed better guidance on microbial testing, particularly of water, and what indicator bacteria should be monitored”. They also wanted more guidance in interpreting the relative risks in the areas of water, manure and worker hygiene, according to information.
The fact sheet the first part of a package to provide this information and guidance. The remainder of the package will involve the production of three web-based tools to support risk assessments in water use, manure or composted manure inputs and worker hygiene.
In addition, a series of ‘Keeping it clean’ seminars will take place in October and November, covering the main fresh produce production areas in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Soft-fruit grower Harriet Duncalfe of H & H Duncalfe in Cambridgeshire, said the sheet would “increase growers’ knowledge of how to interpret the results of the many tests undertaken by fresh produce businesses for their customers”.
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