Preventing Contamination Before, During, and After Harvest

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- [Instructor] Hi, my name is Megan Chawner and I'm an extension educator with Penn State Extension.

Why is it important to prevent contamination before, during, and after harvest?

Put simply, it's to protect yourself and your customers from injury and illness.

Assessing risks is the first step to preventing contamination.

A pre-harvest assessment should include the following for harvest tools and containers.

Wash, scrub, rinse, and sanitize all containers prior to use.

Discard damaged containers.

Separate tools used for handling manure and tools for harvest.

Tools should be cleaned on a scheduled basis.

Store and cover packing materials in a covered location.

Do not stand or sit in harvest bins or containers.

Do not place hats, rags, or other objects that are not fruit or vegetables in containers.

Remove dirt and debris from containers before stacking.

Do not stack directly on soil or floor.

It is important to wash, scrub, and sanitize everything before use while discarding damaged containers.

Good washing and sanitizing practices involve four steps.

The first step is to remove as much debris and dirt as possible.

Use a brush to remove solids and then use a hose to rinse the debris from the surface.

The next step is to use detergents and scrub the surface to wash it.

Another rinsing after washing will help remove any debris that we removed during scrubbing and help eliminate residual detergents.

Finally, use a sanitizing solution to help reduce the number of harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi present, all of which can't be seen with the naked eye.

Traceability is important to protect growers, as well as limit the damage to consumers.

You should be able to trace produce to its source as well as its destination.

Area mapping and labeling your produce with harvest dates and locations helps this process.

The next step is to log the produce so that you have access to that information if a problem were to arise.

Furthermore, you should establish procedures to follow in the event of a problem.

There are also a few considerations to make during harvest.

Practice worker hygiene in the fields.

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 adhering to the harvested produce, especially in the case of field-packed produce.

Do not leave fresh produce in the sun or under a tree.

Remove harvested produce from field as soon as possible.

Furthermore, animals should be excluded from the field wherever possible.

That includes both domestic and wild animals.

Minimize the habitats, nesting, and hiding places that rodents and other pests could use near the field.

Regular building inspections for pests and wildlife is a good preventative measure.

Reduce risks in the packing areas wherever possible.

A clean packing area helps keep customers and employees healthy and happy.

Workers should be properly trained in hygienic practices and have clean break areas.

Keep pests to a minimum.

Avoid standing water that acts as a home for pests and pathogens and keep it organized.

Corrective actions are needed when pest infestation occurs, contamination of the packing line by blood, like a cut finger on a sharp metal edge, the drain backs up into the produce-handling area, or other situations posing immediate risk of contamination to produce occurs.

Pre-harvest, during harvest, and post-harvest are all important stages for risk reduction, each with their own unique challenges.

Keep your risks to a minimum by utilizing good hygiene practices and have a plan for using good food safety.