Produce Bites

In this episode, we talk with Scott Monroe, a food safety educator with Purdue Extension, about Indiana's cantaloupe industry and the ongoing research to enhance its safety. Scott shares insights on the studies being done in response to the Evansville cantaloupe outbreaks, how the new FSMA water rule may help to reduce future similar outbreaks, and the work growers have done as part of their commitment to improving the safety of the cantaloupe. Additional Resources: Purdue, FDA join Indiana produce growers in multiyear food safety study [https://ag.purdue.edu/news/2024/10/purdue-fda-join-indiana-produce-growers-in-multiyear-food-safety-study.html]

In this special episode of Produce Bites, we're excited to share an insightful conversation originally recorded on The Food Safety Dish podcast, brought to you by the National Farmers Union's Local Food Safety Collaborative. In this episode, Kathryn Cavenaugh interviews Phil Tocco as they explore the new FSMA Produce Safety Rule on pre-harvest agricultural water, along with tips for assessing your own ag water for potential hazards and risks. A big thanks to Kathryn and the National Farmers Union for allowing us to cross-post this valuable episode. Additional Resources: Risk Prioritization Tool [https://www.canr.msu.edu/agrifood_safety/risk-prioritization-tool/]

In this episode of Produce Bites, we explore the role of composting on the farm and the food safety considerations every grower should know. This episode features Morgan Anderson, Produce Safety Technician with the Ottawa Conservation District, and Eliza Hensel, Compost Systems Educator with Michigan State University Extension. They discuss their composting processes, the importance of validation and recordkeeping, best practices for handling and storing compost, and more. Additional Resources: On-farm compost production and Right to Farm [https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/on-farm-compost-production-and-right-to-farm] - Eliza Hensel Tips for composting in the summertime [https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/tips-for-composting-in-the-summertime] - Eliza Hensel Master Composter Online Course [https://www.canr.msu.edu/courses/master-composter-online-course] Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety [https://www.miofps.org/]

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not give specifics on establishing no-harvest buffer zones, and it can be difficult for growers to determine the size of a no-harvest buffer zone when they find poop in the field. Laurel Dunn, assistant professor and food safety extension specialist at the University of Georgia, and Shirley Micallef, professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture & Center for Food Safety and Security Systems at the University of Maryland, have conducted research on the dispersal of contamination due to rain splash on feces in produce fields. In this episode, Phil Tocco, extension educator for on-farm produce safety at Michigan State University Extension, talks with Laurel and Shirley to find out what they learned from their research, and what growers can take away from their findings. Additional Resources Full research article: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1370495/full [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1370495/full] Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement [https://lgma.ca.gov/] (LGMA)

This episode features Faith Critzer, Associate Professor at the University of Georgia studying fresh produce in the realm of food safety, and Phil Tocco, On-Farm Produce Safety Educator at MSU Extension. They talk about all of the surfaces apples touch from the time they are picked off the tree until they get to the grocery store and how to keep these surfaces clean.

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule requires that growers take a standardized food safety training recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sara Runkel, a Local Produce Safety Coordinator with Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, and Steve Warshawer, Enterprise Development Manager with the La Montañita Food Co-op, are part of a team that is developing an equivalent training program to the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training that is accepted by the FDA. In this episode, Phil Tocco, Produce Safety Educator with Michigan State University Extension, talks with Sara and Steve to learn more about the details of this training, how it will compare to the PSA Training, and the key elements that make a produce safety training effective. Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the posted materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

Converting a washing machine into a greens spinner can be a cost-effective and efficient option for farms to spin their dry leafy greens, but what are the food safety risks that come with it? Amanda Kinchla, Extension Professor of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts, was a part of a research team that studied the microbial contamination risks of washing machine greens spinners and how it compared to commercially available units. In this episode, Micah Hutchison, a Produce Safety Technician, sits down with Amanda to learn more about her research, discuss the findings, and talk through how to effectively clean and sanitize these machines. Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the posted materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

In this episode, Produce Safety Technician Micah Hutchison interviews Clarence Price with Pingree Farms [https://pingreefarms.org/] in Detroit. Clarence discusses the history of ag in Detroit, the food safety practices at Pingree Farms, and the benefits of urban farming and urban market gardening. Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the posted materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.