Farm Food Safety Practices: A Survey of New England Growers

摘要

Fresh produce carries the risk of foodborne illness caused by microbial contamination during many aspects of its production, harvest, post-harvest handling, transportation, and marketing. The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the adoption of grower practices in New England related to safe food handling guidelines. Questionnaires were mailed to 602 farms in the six New England states, asking questions related to the adoption of food safety practices, including those involving water, manure and biosolids, worker hygiene, field sanitation, harvest and storage, packing and processing, pick-your-own operations and record keeping. The response rate for the survey was 49%. Results show that, overall, adoption of good agricultural practicesfor reducing microbial contamination and growth is high among New England growers, but the study identifies areas where additional training is needed. These areas include water testing, record keeping, washing and sanitizing containers and food contact surfaces, and limiting bare hand contact.