Good Agricultural Practices for Nutmeg

1. Good Agricultural Practices for Nutmeg

2. Ways Nutmegs Are Used 1. Baking – Cakes, cookies 2. Drinks – Eggnog, Rum punch, etc 3. Sausages, Processed meats 4. Pre-packaged foods – Soups, etc 5. Raw on food – In Holland 6. Medications

3. Reality NUTMEG IS A FOOD ITEM It must be treated as a food along ALL stages of the chain - Production - Handling Processing Poorly handled food can lead to food borne outbreaks

4. These are a list of outbreaks that have been linked to Nuts?

5. Reports of Selected Outbreaks by Year 2013 Ground Beef - SalmonellaTyphimurium 2012 Spinach and Spring Mix - Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Peanut Butter – SalmonellaBredeney FrescolinaMarte Brand Ricotta Salata Cheese –Listeriamonocytogenes Hedgehogs – SalmonellaTyphimurium Mangoes – SalmonellaBraenderup Cantaloupe – SalmonellaTyphimurium and Newport Ground Beef - SalmonellaEnteritidis Live Poultry - SalmonellaHadar Live Poultry - Salmonella Montevideo Multistate Outbreak – Escherichia coli O145 Infections Live Poultry - SalmonellaInfantis, Newport, and Lille Dry Dog Food - SalmonellaInfantis Raw Scraped Ground Tuna Product - Salmonella Bareilly and SalmonellaNchanga Small Turtles - SalmonellaSandiego, Salmonella Pomona, and Salmonella Poona Raw Clover Sprouts at Jimmy John's Restaurants -Escherichia coli O26 Restaurant Chain A - SalmonellaEnteritidis Adapted from Danyluk et al., 2007

6. Reports of Selected Outbreaks by Year 2011 Ground Beef - SalmonellaTyphimurium Romaine Lettuce - Escherichia coli O157:H7 Kosher Broiled Chicken Livers - Salmonella Heidelberg Turkish Pine Nuts - SalmonellaEnteritidis Jensen Farms Cantaloupes - Listeriamonocytogenes Ground Turkey - Salmonella Heidelberg Whole, Fresh Imported Papayas - SalmonellaAgona African Dwarf Frogs - SalmonellaTyphimurium Alfalfa and Spicy Sprouts – SalmonellaEnteritidis Travel to Germany - Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O104 Chicks and Ducklings - SalmonellaAltona and Salmonella Johannesburg Microbiology Laboratories - SalmonellaTyphimurium Turkey Burgers - SalmonellaHadar Lebanon Bologna - Escherichia coli O157:H7 Del Monte Cantaloupe - Salmonella Panama Hazelnuts - Escherichia coli O157:H7

7. Farmers be very careful of the way you handle your Nutmeg and Mace cause there are serious consequences faced as a result

8. The dangers of grazing animals close to your nutmeg field Grazing domestic animals is practiced in some regions. Due to this practice the following results were observed: E. coli levels on pecans increased from 4% to 23% following grazing Contamination on pecans increased to 36%, with grazing in a wetproduction year (Marcus and Amling, 1973) Courtesy of Dr. M. Danyluk

9. Salmonella Prompts Nutmeg Recall By News Desk | December 1, 2010 Frontier Natural Products Co-op is recalling nutmeg it received from a New Jersey supplier because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.

10. Consequences of outbreaks These outbreaks are not only blows to victims' health, but also the economy. In the United States, the economy hemorrhages about $7 billion every year due to these outbreaks [source: Washington Times].

11. Consequences of outbreaks The recall costs, which include getting food off shelves, handling lawsuits, revamping plants and repairing public relations, can be gargantuan for companies. And that's not counting the tainted reputation and lost sales that can be difficult to monetize [source: Washington Times].

12. Types of Contamination Physical Insect droppings, dead insects, glass Chemical Oil, grease, pesticides Biological Bacteria, fungi, viruses

13. Biological contamination Salmonella Aflatoxin Listeria E.coli

14. Tests have become more sophisticated by ways of recognizing the smallest infection contained in an entire batch of shipment. Parts per million One part per million (PPM): 1 in 1,000,000 Parts per billion One part per billion (PPB): 1 in 1,000,000,000

15. Good Agricultural Practices For Nutmeg

16. Objective of GAP To minimize the risk of contamination of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and miscellaneous commodities by microbial pathogens.

17. The basic principles of GAPs are Documentation and Traceability Employee & Grower Training Fertilizer and Soil Amendment Practices Water Quality and Source Field Sanitation and Worker Hygiene Pest Control Harvest and Delivery Sanitation

18. Field Sanitation Adequate weed control Reduces excess humidity in fields Reduces infestation of rodents Do not use herbicides under trees during harvesting period

19. Field Sanitation Proper drainage Reduces excess moisture and development of molds (AFLATOXINS) India and Indonesia nutmegs have higher aflatoxin levels than Grenada

20. Field Sanitation Adequate pruning Adequate light – better production & quality Removal of Stones under trees - Avoid cracking of nuts

21. Water Quality Maintain clean waterways Avoid tying animals close to waterways Avoid household waste-water getting into waterways on farm Uncontaminated water for spraying Clean water for washing containers (crates, buckets, bags)

22. Water Quality – At Home Clean water for cleaning work surfaces, buckets. For washing nuts and mace

23. Fertilizer management Proper fertilization practices Importance of soil test Too much nitrogen – Corky shells and nuts easier for mold development

24. Fertilization – Organic Manures Recommended at planting and for young plants Should be composted & broken down Do not apply to trees being harvested.

25. Worker Health & Safety Proper sanitation practices - Importance of hand washing Toilet facilities where practicable First Aid Kit: Plaster, soap, water, paper, Hydrogen peroxide/Methylated spirits

26. Harvesting Harvest regularly. As regularly as possible in rainy season (reduce molds) Use clean containers

27. Transportation Ensure containers are clean Ensure vehicles are clean Free of dirt, foul odours, chemicals, grease, etc) Protection from sun (elevated temperatures)

28. Post Harvest Practices Ensure clean operational areas - No broken glass, hair, animal droppings & other foreign matter “Once food becomes contaminated, it is impossible to clean completely” “You want a clean product, not a cleaned product”

29. Post Harvest Practices Remove mace/clean same day If necessary to wash, use potable water Establish designated drying areas. Dry well. (Solar drying an Option) Deliver to GCNA as soon as possible Do not store ‘green’ nutmegs in plastic bags. Use breathable jute bags. Control pests at home (rodents, roaches, bats, etc)

31. What Farmers Can Do Review on-farm and post harvest operations step by step Identify deficiencies and make adjustments Note key operations - Spraying, fertilizing, harvest, sales - Note dates, materials used Note and report accidents (chemical spills, etc) to GCNA

32. So what can be done? Prevention Try to avoid contaminating the product in the firstplace. Once food becomes contaminated, its almost impossible to clean completely.

33. If you did not RECORD IT,you did not do it. Record keeping allows you to keep track of farming and packing operations and worker training. Record keeping documents your activities should this information ever be required.

34. Good Agricultural Practices (G.A.P) is very importance in Nutmeg Production. As a farmer you ought to give the best outputs as you are considered a World Class Farmer.