California Ag Network

Tag: Food Safety

  • Global E. coli Outbreaks

    The impact of an E. coli outbreak is far-reaching. It spreads through the entire supply chain, leaving consumers, farmers, and retailers in a bind. Losing 45% of your sales overnight is a massive loss to any industry. This is what happened in 2018 regarding the E. coli outbreaks in romaine. Struggling to boost consumer confidence to have another outbreak and lose another 20% of the market is just one example of how much an E. coli outbreak can cost an industry.

    These outbreaks don’t just happen in the United States. As food scientists are more critical of the food consumers eat, outbreaks have gained attention around the globe. Learning to prevent E. coli is the foundation food producers must now think about to avoid costly repercussions.

    It’s all history!

    Escherichia coli (E. coli) was first discovered in 1885 by German pediatrician Theodor Echerich. Since then, E.coli has become the most understood bacteria to the scientific community, because of its role in disease, and its ability to double its population every 20 minutes.

    What you should know about E.coli

    • E. coli is a facultative anaerobe (it can survive with or without oxygen).
    • E. coli survives best in temperatures of 98.6F to 120F (body temperatures), and some
      strains can move.
    • Most strains of E. coli are harmless and live inside the large intestines.
    • E. coli helps protect from harmful organisms, provides essential vitamins, and helps
      break down food.
    • One estimation is that 0.1% of your body microbiota are E. coli (~7,000,000 cells).

    E.coli 2                                          E.coli

     

    Why is E. coli Important?

    E. Coli is classified into six major groups based on virulence properties (aka how likely it is to harm humans). These groups may produce toxins. There are two methods to become ill with the toxins; ingesting the toxin itself (intoxication) or ingesting the bacteria which then produces the toxin. The most common E.coli pathogen is E. coli O:157 H:7, a strain of the group EHEC often connected to food or water contamination. E.coli 0157 is a Shiga toxin or STEC; this pathotype is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks. It is important to note that there are other strains such as E. coli O145 and E. coli O121:H19 which produce a Shiga toxin as well.

    Seafood Safety
    http://www.tamug.edu/seafoodsafetylab/Research/Non-potable%20Water%20Studies.html

    Major Global Outbreaks by the Numbers

    USA: From 1998 to 2007, 69% of all E. coli outbreaks traced back to food contamination, 18% from water, and 14% from animals or person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate about 265,000 E. coli infections happen a year, O157:H7 causing 95,400 of them.

    -2018: Romaine Lettuce and other Leafy Greens

    • 0157:H7: 235 cases; 130 Hospitalizations; 6 Deaths

    – 2018: Ground Beef

    • O26: 18 cases; 6 hospitalizations; 1 death

    – Other outbreaks: Soy Nut Butter (2017); Flour (2016); Sprouts (2016, 2014, 2012); Cookie Dough (2009); Hazelnuts (2011); Spinach (2012, 2006)

    European Union Outbreaks:

    – 2014: 5900 cases (1663 Germany, 1324 UK, 919 Netherlands)
    – 2015: 5929 cases (1616 Germany, 1328 UK, 858 Netherlands)
    – 2016: 6389 cases (1843 Germany, 1367 UK, 665 Netherlands)

    2010 Global Outbreaks

    SafeFoodAllianceMap

    Prevention!
    The easiest way to prevent E. coli in products is by having good manufacturing practices, heating, washing hands, and testing.

    How to Prevent E. coli

    1. Heat– At the manufacturing level, consumer level products must reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate E. coli.This method is an effective form of prevention because E. coli can’t survive at high temperatures. Many companies use pasteurization which reduces bacterial loads if done correctly. It is essential to have validated and verified pasteurization procedures for each commodity.
    2. Testing– Testing to ensure the final product is free of E. coli is another way to gain confidence.
    3. Swabbing– Using swabs at the facility ensures proper sanitation processes and reduces cross contamination. Swabbing should be done on your equipment including your employees. Swabbing is a primary line of defense ensuring your zoning is functioning correctly, and the final product has less of a risk of contamination.
    4. Water Testing– Sampling for water is easily done and may be a requirement for your facility under the new FSMA regulations. Water testing is reported in Most Probable Number (MPN) to help you quantify your level of contamination
      if present. If you need water sample bottles, Safe Food Alliance can provide you with the sterile bottles to sample and will have results for you in 24 to 36 hours.

    Sending samples of your final product for testing-Safe Food Alliance utilizes industry-accepted methods for testing E. coli. Sending samples to one of labs gives you increased confidence that your final product may be free of E. coli. Testing is completed with fast turnaround times so you can make accurate, science-based decisions. Samples sent for testing should be well homogenized and a good representative of the lot being tested. Sample sizes vary on crop so please make sure to contact us for recommendations.

    By:  Joseph Nicholl, Safe Food Alliance

  • The Importance of Food Safety Culture

    In my role, I routinely work with facilities pursuing a third-party food safety certification audit for the first time. After four years of assisting and educating people about the audit process, I have noticed that you can recognize early on whether a company’s pursuit is focused more on obtaining the necessary certificate or in ensuring that their products are safe.

    Most facilities fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, balancing the desire for food safety with legitimate concerns about profitability. It is not difficult, however, to identify whether a facility sees a food safety audit as another bureaucratic hurdle or an opportunity for growth. That attitude often acts as an indicator of how the company will perform on their audit. Sites that prioritize safety and continuous improvement are likely to have better audit outcomes.

    Of course, this is not news to many people. GFSI-benchmarked schemes intentionally look for this quality through objective evidence, with SQF emphasizing “Management Commitment” and BRC clauses mentioning “Food Safety Culture.”

    Food Safety Culture refers to the specific culture of a facility: the attitudes, beliefs, practices, and values that determine what is happening when no one is watching. If you want to gauge a site’s Food Safety Culture, try asking yourself how the site typically responds to food safety concerns. Does the staff take potential problem seriously, as if its importance is obvious? Or do they view food safety practices as just one more hoop they need to jump through in order to stay in business? Is their response to simply ask, “How much is this going to cost?”

    In reality, no facility can afford not to develop a healthy Food Safety Culture. A strong culture of food safety helps a facility both to prevent and catch deviations in their processes that impact the safety, quality, and legality of their products. This, in turn, has a major impact on the likelihood and severity of a recall impacting that site.

    In 2012, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association found that “the average cost of a recall to a food company is $10M in direct costs, in addition to brand damage and lost sales[SK1]  according to a joint industry study.” The costs were significantly higher for larger manufacturers as seen below.

    While it is common for there to be tension between Quality Assurance and Operations teams over the allocation of resources in a plant, the data suggests that it is in the interest of both departments to develop a strong Food Safety Culture. Doing so ensures the integrity of food products and protects the bottom line.

    How, then, can you cultivate Food Safety Culture in your facility?

    As suggested by the SQF scheme approach, a change to company culture always begins at the top. Because senior management has final control over resources, their buy-in on food safety is absolutely essential. Ways management commitment can be seen include:

    • proper money and time are allocated to staff receiving necessary food safety training
    • machinery and tools are repaired and replaced accordingly to decrease the risk of health hazards for the product and employees
    • a food safety plan is well developed and acts as a living document that is regularly updated

    Management commitment is also apparent when senior management regularly participate in routine food safety meetings; reviewing customer complaints, results of recent inspections, food safety issue in the industry, corrective actions from previous audits, and progress toward new food safety goals.

    Beyond the above listed actions, a truly robust Food Safety Culture requires creative thinking to help the entire staff understand the importance of food safety. At the root, you want the people in your facility to understand not just what they are doing and how they are supposed to do it, but why. Why does an employee need to follow their assigned procedures and protocols? Why should they report any concerns to supervisors? Most importantly, why does their job matter?

    For instance, it is possible people on the floor of your facility think of their work as tedious or insignificant. How can you help every member of the staff understand their role in manufacturing safe food? How can you can help them to see that their work helps keep people alive and out of the hospital? Changing a company culture is never easy. It takes time and knowledge to move forward. The eight step process featured below acts a helpful first step towards your adoption of a more food safety focused company culture.

    Eight steps to culture change It is important to remember that creating this type of culture is only truly effective when it is backed up with action. Are employees provided with an effective anonymous way to share safety concerns with management? Do they see maintenance and repair tickets being addressed promptly? Are they penalized for doing things right even when that slows them down?

    Cultivating a Food Safety Culture is a never-ending process of continuous improvement, but commitment to this area yields benefits for the bottom line, for employee satisfaction, and for the families who eat your product. You can’t afford to neglect it.

  • UC ANR’s Elkus Ranch is an Outdoor Classroom for Local Youth

    Half Moon Bay, Calif., (April 24, 2018) – Each year, about 9,000 kids visit the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Elkus Ranch in Half Moon Bay for hands-on educational experiences in urban horticulture, nutrition, food safety, pest management, livestock management and food preservation, reported Sara Hayden in April 2018 issue of Half Moon Bay Magazine (the article begins on p. 16).

    Hayden visited the ranch with photographer Jaime Soja when a group of preschoolers descended to explore the garden and meet the farm animals.

    “They can taste and touch and smell things – feel the wool of a sheep or an egg, know where their food is from, where the clothing fiber comes from,” said Kathi Baxter, UC Cooperative Extension environmental science educator at Elkus Ranch. “Ideally, kids would get the idea that space is necessary to grow food. We’re hoping to plant that seed of stewardship here.”

    The Elkus family donated the 125-acre ranch in the 1970s as a gift for youth. The ranch’s operating budget depends heavily on grants and donations.

    For more, visit the Elkus Ranch website at http://ucanr.edu/sites/elkus_ranch.

  • Produce Safety Program Launches Website

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 24, 2018) – A new website has been launched by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to help California farmers understand how to comply with new food safety regulations known as the Produce Safety Rule, which went into effect nationwide in January.

    The website introduces users to the Produce Safety Program, a newly created unit operating under CDFA’s Inspection Services Division.  The Produce Safety Program is responsible for conducting on-farm inspections on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to verify compliance with the Produce Safety Rule among California fruit, vegetable and nut farmers.

    “It’s estimated some 20,000 California produce farms are covered under this new regulation,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The job of bringing these farms into compliance with the Produce Safety Rule is a very large task, and CDFA is committed to working with farmers to give them the information they need.”

    The FDA has determined that on-farm inspections to verify compliance with the Produce Safety Rule will not begin until 2019.  This gives CDFA time to begin getting the word out to farmers about how to comply with the new regulation.

    Via the website, produce farms and industry members can join a mailing list to receive regular updates from the Produce Safety Program.

    “The Produce Safety Program plans to spend the coming year doing everything possible to inform and educate California produce farmers about the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule,” said Natalie Krout-Greenberg, CDFA’s director of Inspection Services. “CDFA’s vision is for 100 percent compliance with the Produce Safety Rule.  Our hope is that required food safety practices will become ingrained in the culture of California produce farming so that our state continues to grow the safest produce possible.”

    Visit the site at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/about.html

    Contact:

    Steve Lyle

    Director of Public Affairs

    California Department of Food and Agriculture

    916-654-0462

  • Almond Board Celebrates Breakthroughs in Almond Quality & Food Safety

    MODESTO, Calif. – (Nov. 15, 2017) – A groundbreaking mandatory pasteurization program created by Almond Board of California (ABC) and its strategic partners has supported an enviable industry-wide food safety record over the last decade. Since the program’s launch, there have been zero outbreaks of foodborne illness attributed to California Almonds. Today, more than 200 treatment processes have been validated for use on almonds following specific guidelines and review by ABC’s Technical Expert Review panel.
     
    The almond industry initiated these efforts in the early 2000s, when Salmonella concerns were intensifying across the food industry. At the time, conventional wisdom suggested that low moisture foods, such as nuts and seeds, did not pose a threat, since the microorganisms of concern could not grow in these products. ABC engaged food safety experts, USDA and research partners to holistically identify potential risks and develop strategies for control. This collaboration ultimately resulted in the mandatory pasteurization program for Salmonella reduction and implementation of best practices, including Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for growers and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for processors, as well as updated HACCP guidelines and Pathogen Environmental Monitoring (PEM) resources.
     
    “The health and wellbeing of almond consumers matters deeply to everyone in the California Almond industry. We’re not afraid to tackle food safety challenges head-on, aided by the expertise of our partners, and we’re proud of our pioneering best practices,” said Tim Birmingham, director, Quality Assurance and Industry Services, Almond Board of California. “In response to concerns about Salmonella, we conducted research and led extensive discussions with industry, university and government experts before adopting mandatory pasteurization. After 10 years with zero outbreaks, we’re grateful that we took action.”
     
    From 2007 to 2017, ABC invested more than $5 million in food quality and safety research. It remains firmly committed to educating industry members on how to produce the safest and highest quality almonds possible. All findings are translated into clear, practical guidance for growers and processors.
     
    “I find it especially gratifying to see research results put into action. Almond Board of California transforms their food safety and quality research into practical resources that growers and processors actually use,” said Dr. Linda Harris, chair and specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis. Harris conducts laboratory research and provides extension education and practicable advice to growers and the almond processing and affiliated industry organizations.
     
    “I’m proud of the industry-wide steps we’ve taken to improve food safety. Those investments protect almond consumers and allow us to focus on delivering the quality, freshness and great taste they enjoy,” said Martin Pohl, a Central Valley almond grower and president of Hughson Nut. “As a result, we’ve seen tremendous industry growth over the last decade.”
     
    The California Almond industry will continue evolving its best practices as new scientific discoveries unfold. The industry also is well positioned to comply with FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) because it has proactively, voluntarily created and implemented so many programs that are already in line with FSMA requirements.
     
    The Produce Safety rule under FSMA goes into effect in January 2018 for large-scale orchards or huller/shellers considered farms. Preventive Controls compliance for larger businesses began September 2016 and mid-sized compliance started September of this year. To date, more than 100 industry members have completed the FDA recognized Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training, hosted by ABC.
     
    As FSMA compliance periods take effect, ABC continues to help growers, processors and other stakeholders understand which FSMA rules apply, what actions to take to ensure compliance and when specific requirements come into effect for different operations.
     
     

  • California Department of Food and Agriculture Seeks Bids for Grower Food Safety Training

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 5, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking a contractor to provide food safety training for California produce growers.  Interested parties can learn more and submit proposals through a Request for Proposals (RFP) that has been posted by the Department on the Cal eProcure website. Proposals are due October 16, 2017.

    “The Department has received funding for 2018 in the amount of $450,000 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” explained Natalie Krout-Greenberg, Director of CDFA’s Inspection Services Division.  “The funds are meant to provide farmers with affordable access to food safety training courses required under new FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) laws.”

    The Division is working with the FDA to bring produce farmers in California into compliance with FSMA, which becomes effective January 2018.  More than 20,000 produce farms in California are expected to be covered under what is called the Produce Safety Rule, one of several sections of the new law. As part of this Rule, each of these 20,000 farms must employ at least one individual who has completed an approved food safety training course.

    To facilitate the training, CDFA has divided the state into four regions. Contractors who submit proposals must provide a plan to conduct classes in each region. Classes must be open to any grower who wishes to attend and the course curriculum must be accredited by the Produce Safety Alliance, located at Cornell University.

    Much more detailed information is available in the official RFP, which can be accessed by registering atwww.caleprocure.ca.gov and searching for bids under Department Number 8570.  The official RFP title is “Environmental Auditing Unit, Standardized Grower Training” and there are four different RFPs – one for each training region. A hard copy of the RFPs can also be accessed by contacting Valerie Roberts, Contract Analyst at (916) 403-6518.