GAPs:

1. Juan Anciso, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist Texas AgriLife Extension Service j-anciso@tamu.edu 956-968-5581 GAPs: Purpose, Requirements, Implementation and Certification Process

2. What does GAPs mean? GAPs is an acronym for Good Agricultural Practices

3. Purpose Good Agricultural Practices or GAPs are basic environmental, health and sanitary practices that aid in the production of safe fruits and vegetables.

4. GAPs Facts • Prevention is Key! • 100% control of microorganisms is impossible • Strategy is to reduce the risk • System of accountability • Most of the practices are common sense • Main change will be Farm Safety Plan/Manual and record keeping

5. Recent Issues • 2011, Listeriamonocytogeneson cantaloupe • -- unknown, facility with environmental samples • 2008, Salmonella St. Paul on Peppers • -- contaminated irrigation water • 2006, E. coli 0157:H7 on Spinach • -- spinach crop contaminated by wild hogs or cattle feces

6. Why do we need GAPs? Every year, about 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses result in an estimated: 325,000 hospitalizations 3,000 needless deaths Economic losses between $10-83 billion

7. Why do we need GAPs in produce? According to the FDA, from 1996 to 2007 there were 72 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with 20 fresh produce commodities.

8. Are GAPs required by law? • Not mandatory by law today • Will become legally binding once FDA comes out with a rule since the Food Safety Modernization Act. • Exemption of selling at least 50% through direct marketing and making less than $500,000 • Mandatory by most large retailers

9. Requirements • Have a Food Safety Plan/Manual • Have a Designated Food Safety Person • Standard Operating Procedures in place • Employee Trainings on Hygiene once a year • Documents • Records (logs) • Microbial Water Testing • 3rd Party Audit

10. Implementation (easy) Develop a Food Safety Plan/Manual. -- we can develop one for you -- or go online and develop one yourself (www.onfarmfoodsafety.org) Designate a person in charge of Food Safety -- either yourself or someone -- display the Name and Phone number .

11. Implementation (hard) Most of these things are probably already being done but not written. The main part of implementation will be keeping logs and records of everything you do for food safety. In addition to having routine trainings with employees to keep them up to date. Passing the 3rd Party GAPs certification audit.

12. Certification/Audit Process • Before you attempt a 3rd party audit: • Go through a training (online – agrilifefoodsafety.tamu.edu $40) • Go through a check list to make sure all necessary processes are in place and all required documentation is available • Have at least 3 months of records • Will want to come during production time

13. Third Party GAPs Auditors USDA http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/GAPGHPAuditVerificationProgram NSF-Davis Fresh http://www.nsf.org/business/global_food_safety_standards/globalgap Primus http://www.primuslabs.com/services/audits.aspx?menuID=2 SQF – Safe Quality Food Institute http://www.sqfi.com/suppliers/certification-steps/ Food Safety Net Services http://www.food-safetynet.com/auditing.html SCS – Scientific Certification Systems http://www.scscertified.com/fff/food_safety_auditing.php#gap

14. Third Party GAPs Audit Success Do not need a perfect score to pass the audit. Passing the audit is good for one year standing. Texas Department of Agriculture has a program for those successfully passing the audit and attending an approved TDA training the applicants can get upto $750 reimbursement.

15. Food Safety Modernization Act ‘‘SEC. 419. STANDARDS FOR PRODUCE SAFETY. ‘‘(a) PROPOSED RULEMAKING.‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(A) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, ……..shall publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish science-based minimum standardsfor the safe production and harvesting of those types of fruits and vegetables, …….that are raw agricultural commodities for which the Secretary has determined that such standards minimize the risk of serious adverse health consequences or death. ‘‘(B) include, with respect to growing, harvesting, sorting, packing, and storage operations, science-based minimum standards related to soil amendments, hygiene, packaging, temperature controls, animals in the growing area, and water;

16. Food Safety Modernization Act The amendment includes the following requirements for exemption: 1. Producers must have annual gross sales less than $500,000. This includes all subsidiaries and affiliates of a business. 2. Producers must sell more than half their products directly to consumers (including at farmers markets) or to local restaurants and retailers that in turn sell directly to consumers. 3. FDA has authority to withdraw an exemption from a farm or facility associated with a foodborne illness outbreak. 4. The distance from a facility or farm that is eligible to be a “qualified end-user” was reduced to 275 miles.

17. Texas Senate Bill 81 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to food safety. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1.  Section 431.2211(a), Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows: (a)  A person is not required to hold a license under this subchapter if the person is: (1)  a person, firm, or corporation that only harvests, packages, or washes[, or ships] raw fruits or vegetables for shipment at the location of harvest;

18. Do You Need to be GAP Certified on your Produce Operation? • Exemption of selling at least 50% through direct marketing and making less than $500,000 • FDA comes out with the Rules – Probably audits will not be mandatory but Food Safety Plans will be. • Education, Education, Education will probably be Mandatory.

19. Official Food Safety Plans Guidelines • 8 Main Areas: • Water • Manure and • Municipal Biosolids • Worker Health and Hygiene • Sanitary Facilities • Field Sanitation • Packing Facility Sanitation • Transportation

20. Principle # 1 Don’t use a Band-Aid, prevent problems instead!! Prevention of microbial contamination of fresh produce is favored over reliance on corrective action once contamination has occurred.

21. Principle # 2 To minimize microbial food safety hazards in fresh produce, growers, packers, and shippers should start and use GAPs and GMPs in those areas that they have control over.

22. Principle #3 Fresh produce can become microbiologically contaminated at any point along the farm-to-table food chain. • The major source of microbial contamination with fresh produce is associated with human or animal feces.

23. Principle #4 Whenever water comes in contact with produce, its quality dictates the potential for contamination. • Minimize the potential for microbial contamination from water used with fresh produce.

24. Principle #5 Practices using animal manure or municipal bio-solid wastes should be managed closely to minimize the potential for microbial contamination of fresh produce.

25. Principle #6 Worker hygiene and sanitation practices during production, harvesting, sorting, packing, and transport play a critical role in minimizing the potential for microbial contamination of fresh produce.

26. Principle #7 Follow all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations Follow corresponding laws, regulations, or standards for operators outside the U.S. for agricultural practices

27. Principle #8 Traceback, recordkeeping, documentation Accountability at all levels (farm, packing, distribution center and transport operation is the key to a successful food safety program. Qualified personnel and effective monitoring ensures program functions correctly.

28. Major Points of GAPs Food Safety(common sense) • Prevention (animal and human fecal matter) • Sanitation • Worker hygiene • KEEP RECORDS of worker training and GAPs practices employed • Anything WATER comes into contact with can become contaminated

29. Water Concerns • Water must be potable (<2 generic E. coli/100mls, drinking quality) for all post-harvest uses: • Hygiene of workers • Washing produce • Transporting • Cooling • Processing • Temperature Difference • - Not greater than 10 degree F

30. Why Rinsing and Sanitizers do not clean produce or eliminate the risk of a microbial contamination? Clean Greens Study - Looked at microbiological quality of produce (arugula, cilantro, parsley, spinach, mustard greens, collards, dill, and cantaloupe) from field to loading on truck. Johnston et. al 2005. Journal of Food Protection 68:1840-47 Various researchers looking at washing produce with 200 ppm chlorine Texas A&M study looking at various sanitizers

31. Water and Produce Sampling Scheme Field Crop Field Crop WashTank Conveyor belt Produce manually removed from field bins Produce packed into boxes and top-iced Rinse Distribution Packaging Produce rinsed with water (Anti-microbial agent may be added) Produce sample collected Water sample collected

32. Total Aerobic Bacteria Total Enterococcus Parsley Total Coliforms E. coli

33. Total Aerobic Bacteria Total Enterococcus Cantaloupe E. coli Total Coliforms

34. Other Studies using 200 PPM Chlorine vs. Water Rinse

35. Texas A&M Spinach Study

36. Take Home Message on Disinfectants and Washing A reduction of 0.5 log to a 2 log of pathogens on produce surface. About a 50% to 99% reduction. A kill step is often defined as a 5 log reduction or 99.999% reduction. Disinfection does have antimicrobial effects and are important to prevent the wash water to remain sanitized. Prevention of a contamination event is the first line of defense rather than trying to clean-up or remove these pathogens with aqueous sanitizers.

37. Helpful Links GAPs information and for-sale items www.gaps.cornell.edu Family Farm food safety and GAPs Plans www.onfarmfoodsafety.org Texas GAPs online training https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/events/details.cfm?id=797 Texas AgriLife Food Safety Website http://agrilifefoodsafety.tamu.edu AgriLife Food Safety App Apple App Store Texas GAPs and GHPs Food Safety Training Curriculum Extension Publication B-6244 ($10) http://agrilifebookstore.org AgriLife Food Safety > Resources and Events > Pathogens > Hygiene and Handwashing > Produce Safety > Meat Safety > Poultry Safety