Objective(s):
The objectives of this session are to: 1. Provide educators with current options and best management practices for enhancing food safety postharvest; 2. Address compliance with NOP and FSMA standards in the postharvest arena; and 3. Introduce participants to novel emulsified essential oil-based sanitizers that were recently evaluated as organic alternatives for washing produce.

Food safety is of the utmost concern to the produce industry. Based on outbreak investigations, points of original contamination occurred during growing, harvest, packing or holding of produce on the farm. The root cause of many outbreaks has been linked to postharvest contamination. Postharvest water contamination, in particular, including water used for rinsing, washing, cooling, waxing, icing, or moving fruits and vegetables, can be quickly amplified by errors in postharvest management. Current regulations and guidance documents (EPA, USDA-NOP, FDA-FSMA) on appropriate postharvest handling, including washing and packing house sanitation, can be confusing to interpret and thus many times are not successfully implemented. Proper application of sanitizers can reduce the number of pathogens and prevent cross contamination in wash water and on food contact surfaces. The advantages and drawbacks of different sanitizers, intended use in growing operations or on surfaces, and management factors that influence the useful and adverse results of these sanitizers are rarely understood. The need for effective integration of regulations, such as the National Organic Program and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, with best management practices for contaminated water and increased demand for mitigation steps represents a significant and reoccurring risk for the produce industry. We will discuss the integration of sanitizers into postharvest handling to meet FSMA and NOP requirements, as well as the evaluation of some novel sanitizers.