Before and After Harvest Contamination

Why should we prevent contamination before, during, and after harvest?

• To protect yourself and your customers from injury and illnesses
• This is an important time to assess risks (produce is about to leave the farm!)

Reminder: Contamination risks include microbial (bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemical (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.), and physical (wood, glass, metal, plastic, etc.)

Best Practices

• Worker training and hygiene
• Clean and sanitize all surfaces, containers, transportation, etc.
• Proper use of toilets and handwashing stations
• Designated break areas in fields and packing sheds
• Clean water for drinking, irrigation, and cleaning
• Adequately maintained tools and machinery
• Create and enforce a traceability system
• Proper storage of chemicals (sealed and labeled containers in a locked cabinet)

Before Harvest

• Wash, scrub, rinse, and sanitize everything before use (discard damaged containers)
• Separate tools used for handling manure and tools for produce
• Keep equipment in good repair (no leaking fluids or loose or damaged parts)
• Protect light bulbs and glass on harvesting equipment so it cannot contaminate produce
• Store packing materials in a covered location
• Do not stand or sit in harvest containers
• Do not place hats, rags, or other objects in containers
• Remove dirt and debris from containers before stacking
• Do not stack containers directly on soil or floor

During Harvest

• Pick fruits and vegetables when they are dry
• Never harvest produce with animal droppings
• Never harvest fruit that is damaged or rotten
• Never harvest produce that touches or falls on the floor
• Minimize the amount of soil contamination, especially for field-packed produce
• Do not leave fresh produce in the sun or under a tree (remove harvested produce from field as soon as possible!)
• Exclude domestic animals and wildlife from fields
• Cover bins as they are transported from the field to the packing area

After Harvest

• Reduce risks in packing areas:
  -- Keep it clean and organized
  -- Proper hygiene facilities and break areas for workers
  -- Pest management (check building for holes and leaks, use traps and sprays as necessary)
  -- Avoid standing water and condensation
• If using water and ice, make sure it is safe for human consumption
• If using refrigeration or freezers, ensure that the cooling unit is functioning properly and avoid temperature fluctuations
• All vehicles used to transport produce should be inspected before loading (must be clean, sanitized and free from debris and bad odors)

Traceability

The ability to track produce back to its source and forward to the next destination (one step back and one step forward)

Why?

• Quickly identify the source of a product and speed up an investigation
• Limit damage to the consumer
• Prevent damage to the innocent grower
• Does not prevent a foodborne outbreak!

How?

• Map all production areas
• Label all produce containers with the date and location of harvest

Note

Put corrective actions in place, keep records, and monitor to make sure the corrective actions have fixed the problem!

Resources

• Penn State Extension Food Safety and Quality website
• Cornell University Produce Safety Alliance website
• The Centers for Disease Control Food Safety website

Supported by a USDA NIFA Food Safety Outreach Program grant titled "Bilingual Produce Safety Educational Programming for Hispanic/Latino Fresh Produce Growers and Farmworkers in Pennsylvania," USDA NIFA Award number 2017-70020-27236