Annalisa Hultberg, food safety educator As you are busy planting and beginning early harvests, it is a good time to think through your food safety procedures to ensure you have safe, quality product this growing season. Here is a checklist for the early season to-dos to prepare your packing and washing areas for the season. 1. Deep clean the packshed It is a good idea to do a deep clean of your packing area and all equipment in the early season. Disassemble postharvest washing equipment as possible, scrub surfaces with soap and water, and then apply a sanitizer like a bleach solution, focusing on the areas that will touch the produce directly. Don't forget walls, ceilings, coolers, floor drains, the outside and inside of equipment, and corners and storage areas to get rid of filth from the winter. For more information on making a sanitizing solution for surfaces, see this webpage. Common sanitizers are bleach or a PAA - based sanitizer like Sanidate 5.0. Yo...
