Fruit and Vegetable News

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, Food Safety           If you use well or surface water in the production of your fresh fruits and vegetables, bacteria, viruses or parasites may be present in water and contaminate your produce or equipment. You might assume your well water is safe because it smells and tastes good, but without testing it, you cannot tell if the well is failing or surface water is getting in.  But what do you tell the water testing lab when you call? Follow this general script to help navigate that conversation. What to test for? You will want to test your well and surface water sources for generic  E. coli,  since this is an indicator of the presence of fecal contamination in your water. Where there is E. coli, there might be poop, and where there might be poop, there might be a host of other pathogens such as Salmonella , Cyclospora, or Listeria monocytogenes . You might add things like lead, arsenic or nitr...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety This short article is intended to help fruit and vegetable farmers quickly understand how to talk with their customers about the current Cyclospora outbreak and to dispel misinformation.  What you need to know about the parasite as a farmer Cyclospora is a microscopic protozoan parasite that can cause severe, watery diarrhea among other symptoms when ingested. It comes from feces from infected humans, not animals or wildlife. Cyclospora can contaminate fresh produce when water that is used on the farm during growing (most often from sources like rivers and streams) contains human feces from a person who is ill with the parasite.  It can be very difficult or impossible to wash the parasite off produce once it gets on. The source of the current outbreak is likely contaminated surface water used for irrigation, but the investigation is ongoing.  Well water is much less likely to be contaminated with fecal material. Produc...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension educator, food safety  Note: Since this is an evolving investigation, updates will be posted as they are available. The original article with more details is below the updates.  Update 7/20: On 7/19, after reviewing the results from recent sampling efforts, the FDA announced that the previously confirmed positive test of Cyclospora linked to the current 5-state outbreak from Taylor Farms was a false positive. While there are not currently any documented positive tests, this does not mean that the produce causing illnesses definitely did not come from Taylor Farms in central Mexico. It just means that a positive test confirmation is not present. The epidemiological studies that are following ill consumers continue to indicate that Taylor Farms lettuce from central Mexico is the likely source of the illness, though the case is evolving as more information comes in.  Taylor Farms de Mexico is recalling iceberg lettuce sourced from centr...

 Annalisa  Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety One of the most important (yet least exciting) parts of managing a farm is the cleaning and sanitizing of totes, tools, and equipment to keep your produce safe and long-lasting. As I have been visiting farms this summer, one of the more common issues farms are encountering is developing systems for larger sanitizing jobs, like sanitizing tables, many totes, or pieces of equipment. For these jobs, consider using a hose-end sprayer to apply surface sanitizer.  Why do I need to sanitize surfaces? Sanitizing reduces the contamination level on surfaces by killing  microorganisms that cause disease. Applying sanitizer does not mean that the surface will be totally free of microorganisms, but they will be greatly reduced. If done correctly, this process results in safer products and improved postharvest quality. It can also kill plant pathogens that can spread on surfaces and tools.  Before you sanitize a surfac...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety This time of the season is very busy, and we get lots of questions about finding commonly purchased materials for cleaning, sanitizing, handwashing, and in the packshed so growers don't have to spend time searching for supplies. We have compiled some of the most commonly sought out materials for handwashing, cleaning, sanitizing and packshed maintenance and links to purchase them.  For a step by step guide to build a low - cost handwashing station that features a dishpan drawer for paper towels, see this website. You can also just use a table. https://extension.umn.edu/growing-safe-food/handwashing-station Handwashing Stand Supplies You can purchase the supplies for a handwashing stand from many suppliers. We have gathered links to purchase online, but you may find them in stores near you as well.   RelianceProducts Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container  = $19.88 each Rubbermaid 11 qt. Dish Pans (to hold the pap...

Annalisa Hultberg, food safety educator Take some time now to think through your food safety procedures to ensure you have safe, quality product this 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. You can get Sanidate from Biosafe systems, and they have local r...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Winter is a great time to plan your markets for this coming season.   If you are selling your produce to a school, early care or other institutions, you might be asked about your food safety practices. The following information  is meant to help clarify what is required and what is allowed under Minnesota state food code when farms sell to markets like schools and other institutions.  Photo credit: Allison Sandve, University of Minnesota Can I sell my produce without a license? Yes! A s per Minnesota state statute,  you do not need any license or inspection to sell your fresh produce, as long as the product is 100% from your own farm. This is called "product of the farm".  This means product that a farmer grows with no off-farm ingredients added. As per the Minnesota Department of Health,  food grown by farmers is an "approved source" . What about a GAP audit? A buyer might ask for a GAP audit, which i...

  -Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator food safety  Food safety is a critical part of all produce farm operations. One of the best ways to protect your customers and prevent your business from being involved in a foodborne illness outbreak is to maintain good food safety practices on your farm and keep basic food safety records. Learning about Good Agricultural Practices and current food safety laws are a great way to build your farm's plan for preventing foodborne illness from spreading from food that you grow and sell.  One great way to do that is to attend a GAPs or FSMA training course.  Note:  All of these courses are accepted as documentation of food safety training for the  Produce Safety Mini Grant  from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, which will open later this winter. FSMA Produce Safety Rule Trainings If your farm is fully covered by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, at least one supervisor or responsib...