Teaching Good Agricultural and Handling Practices to Mississippi Producers

Fresh fruits and vegetables most often are grown in an open environment where there are multiple opportunities for exposure to microbiological and chemical hazards. Recently, recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh fruits and vegetables have increased. Most of these outbreaks were associated with microbial contamination including Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus and Hepatitis A virus. The major concerns for food safety come from human feces, animal manures, water, wildlife, and workers. Because fresh fruits and vegetables are often consumed raw, there is no absolute kill step such as cooking that ensures safe produce. Furthermore, there is no cleansing step that can remove all biological and chemical hazards. Preventing and controlling the contamination of fresh produce at the farm is the key to producing wholesome, healthy products. More companies that distribute fresh produce are becoming aware of the importance of the safety issues and are demanding mandatory third party independent audits of fresh produce operations as a prerequisite for purchasing. Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices (GAPs/GHPS) are paramount to ensuring the safety of our food system.  A team of Extension professionals from Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University taught a series of four workshops across the state in the Spring of 2014.  The purpose of the workshops was to introduce Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices to Mississippi’s produce industry so that producers can develop and implement farm food safety plans which prepare them for GAPs/GHPs certification. Topics included: Fresh Produce Safety and Consumer Health, Site Selection and Soil, Agricultural Water, Fertilizers: Inorganic and Organic, Animal Exclusion and Pest Control, Worker Health and Hygiene, Harvesting, Cooling, Produce Cleaning and Water Treatment, Packing and Storage, Transportation, Facilities and Equipment Cleaning and Sanitation, Development of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, and USDA GAPs/GHPs audit verification.  By executing and documenting GAPs and GHPs, fresh produce producers can assure government regulators and customers worldwide that the produce industry in Mississippi is diligent in its commitment to producing safe, high-quality fruits and vegetables so they can market their products with greater confidence. The target audience was farmers and producers involved with the fruit and vegetable industry in Mississippi. More than 50 producers attended the workshops.  Pre- and post-tests were administered to participants to gauge the effectiveness of the workshop.  Additionally, program evaluations were collected.  Three participants from each workshop volunteered to have an on-farm GAP/GHP consultation.