Food Safety and Produce

1. Food Safety and Produce AEC 317 November 9, 2012

2. Focus of the Presentation • Drivers behind food safety and produce • The Kentucky produce industry • Food safety and Kentucky produce • Marketing food safety

5. The big picture • Between 6 and 33 million people affected by foodborne illness each year (all foods) • Post Sept 11 expanded to include biosecurity • Deaths as high as 8,000 in a single year • Main food safety challenges in produce Pathogens (bacteria, etc.) Chemical residues Foreign matter (glass, staples, etc.) Pathogens by far the largest source of risk

6. The big picture • Produce quality assurance regulated by the Food & Drug Administration • 639 outbreaks and over 31,000 reported illnesses connected with produce   • Class I recall—The product poses a reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. Example: E. coli in spinach. • Class II recall—The product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. Example: undeclared milk allergens in soup. • Class III recall—The product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences. Example: Soda labeled “caffeine-free” is found to contain caffeine.

8. System wide supply chain priorities Source: Perisio, et al., 2001

9. Current Industry Best Management Practices • Preserving the cold chain • Worker sanitation (clean, healthy workers) • Facility sanitation • Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) • Implemented in most fresh cut and packing/shipping operations • Lower inventories and accelerated time to market

10. Certification • Many industry safety guidelines are voluntary • Third party certification • Hinton Strawberry Farms • Primus Labs • American Food Safety Institute • Signals of quality assurance increasing in importance to most retail and foodservice customers

12. Certification • Signals of quality assurance increasing in importance to most retail and foodservice customers • Global Good Ag Practices • California Leafy Greens – toward a mandated order?

13. Food Safety Rating By Kentucky Producers Source: Woods, 2003

14. Perceptions of the safety of produce in U.S. markets Farmers Farmers

15. Where do most food safety problem occur? Farmers vs Consumers

16. Risk of Pesticide Related Death High risk L M N O P Q R S

17. An interesting fact… • There is no evidence that anybody has ever died from pesticide residues on food from lawful application of pesticides

18. More than 10% of my neighbors… • Use “off-label pesticides Conventional 13% Organic 33% • Inadequately clean their sprayers Conventional 28% Organic 58% • Apply dosages exceeding label recommendations Conventional 15% Organic 45%

19. More than 10% of my neighbors…. • Apply pesticides too closely to the harvest date Conventional 8% Organic 39% • Operate livestock activity within 100 yards of produce activity Conventional 29% Organic 42%

20. Marketing Food Safety • Growth in organics • Major retailers • Natural foods stores • USDA • Eco-labeling • Ecolabeling Standards • Traceback systems – Radio frequency id tags – Dole, WalMart • Growth in direct marketing and association of ‘local’ with ‘safe’?

21. Marketing “Green” Packaging Recyclable containers

22. Marketing “Green” Packaging Recyclable containers