Introduction to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)

Why are GAPs important?

• Produce safety affects every fruit and vegetable grower and every grower can reduce those risks
• Keeps consumers healthy
• Better business reputations and performance
• Prevent crop and financial loss

Sources of Contamination

• Humans can carry pathogens and spread them to produce, food contact surfaces, or other people while they work on the farm
• Domesticated and wild animals can carry and transmit human pathogens to produce
• Water carries and spreads human pathogens, contaminating entire fields or large amounts of produce
• Soil amendments like raw manure can be a source of contamination if improperly handled and applied

Microbial Pathogens

• Bacteria: pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria
• Viruses: Hepatitis A, Norovirus
• Parasites: Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora

Challenges

• Pathogens are very small and hide easily
• Microorganisms cannot be seen with naked eye, so contamination is difficult to detect visually
• It can be hard to find the source
• Many fruits and vegetables are consumed raw, with no cooking or "kill step" to destroy pathogens
• It is difficult to know contamination has occurred because events are sporadic and affect only small portions of the crop

Note
GAPs are voluntary, but often required by wholesalers and retailers. Don't confuse GAPs with FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act), which is mandatory under federal rule.

Prevention is Key!

The focus of produce safety is on preventing contamination from occurring. Once present, microbial contamination is very difficult to remove.

Basics of GAPs

• Clean soil: properly applied amendments
• Clean water: used in production, harvest and packing
• Clean hands: good personal hygiene in the field and packing house
• Clean surfaces: properly washed and sanitized on a regular basis

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