Calibrate equipment , maintenance
Pesticide application & record keeping
Integrated Crop Management
The objective of this publication is to assist the producer in managing all aspects of crop production, marketing, and post harvest handling to provide for the profitable production of cucurbits, resulting in a safe and high quality product for the consumer in an economically and ecologically sound manner.
Producers face many crop and pest management decisions during the course of a cucurbit production season. Careful planning in advance can have a positive impact on profit. In contrast, decisions made on a partial basis can and often do result in additional costs, lower profits, and even crop failure. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has historically been utilized to manage crop pests and provide the safest and most economically effective approach to crop health and profitability. Pest management cannot be done separately from crop production. In addition, plant health affects susceptibility to pest damage. As a result, IPM has evolved into the broader concept of Integrated Crop Management. This approach utilizes pest management decisions, and touches all aspects of cropping including planning, site selection, and variety selection, on through the entire production and marketing cycle.
Management decisions must be based on understanding the plant and its environment. A successful approach to integrated crop management includes cooperation between producers, packing sheds, processors, and marketers to develop management strategies for effective crop production and profit.
The following guidelines are a good beginning for effective crop production:
· Proper planning includes marketing, production pest management, and post harvest handling of the crop.
· Selection of production sites considering all aspects of production and pest management, including soil type and drainage, past pest problems, low areas, soil nutrients, and pH.
· Field scouting and crop problem identification includes pest activity, irrigation needs, and drainage problems, as well as general crop health and stage of production.
· Management action guidelines, depending on the intensity of management, cultivar, and the life stages of both the plants and the pests
· Sprayer calibration and maintenance
· Record keeping, including field history, pesticide and fertilizer applications, and key pests
· Cost benefit analysis
· Follow-up and review of management decisions after the production season to improve profitability
These concepts and how they relate to crop growth are summarized in a production timeline on the next page. This figure provides an overall picture of the steps involved in integrated cucurbit production. In addition, the timeline can serve as a reminder for when key activities need to take place in relation to the crop growth stage.
Calibrate equipment , maintenance
Pesticide application & record keeping
Estimating production costs and returns is critical for the planning process in any agricultural endeavor. The best possible information for planning for the future is the records of the past experiences producing a crop on a specific farm. Costs and returns for cucurbits vary significantly from one farm to the next and from season to season. This variability may result from differences in 1) cultural practices; 2) soils; 3) size and type of machinery; 4) yields; 5) prices paid for inputs and received for production; 6) number of acres farmed; 7) capital, management, and labor resources available to the operator; and 8) physical location, such as longitude or latitude.
Budgets have been developed for this manual to assist growers in estimating
their costs of production. These budgets are in Appendix 1-A to 1-L. The budgets
cannot reflect all of the practices of individual growers of a given cucurbit
crop in the state. These budgets should serve only as a guide for developing
budgets for individual operations.
ting
Cultural practices and prices used in developing the costs and returns
budgets should be closely examined to determine if they are appropriate for an
individual farm or field. Conclusions about the profitability of the enterprises
for a particular operation depend on the assumptions made about cultural practices
and prices. The "Your Value" column of the budgets should be used to
adjust the costs and returns to each operation.
Yields in the sample budgets are derived from research data and discussions with some of the more experienced growers in the state. Beginners with no commercial experience in producing cucurbits may not be able to achieve the yields used in the budgets. Each budget has a specific planting and harvesting date. In reality, planting and successful germination of seed can take place over several weeks. Changes in the planting date will change the harvesting dates. Changes in the harvesting dates may change the yields of the crop and the prices received. Growing conditions and changes in cultural practices may also alter yields and prices received.
The output selling prices used in the budgets are determined from the average of 10 years of weekly historical data collected at the Dallas wholesale market. The price used is FOB at the packing shed. Appendix 1-B lists the average weekly product prices used to develop the prices used in the budgets. The price used in a crop's budget is a weighted average based on the yield and weeks of harvest specified for the budget. Since the starting date of the week changes each year, 2001 calendar dates have been utilized. The USDA market prices lists watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydews as "fruit" under the general heading of "melons," and cucumbers and squash as "vegetables."
Cultural practices and input requirements used to construct the sample budgets are those a small commercial grower might follow. Average soil productivity suited for cucurbit production is assumed. Soil characteristics may influence the level of inputs such as seeding, fertilizer, watering, herbicide rates, and the type of machinery used. The examples assume that irrigation is provided by a hand-moved sprinkler system.
Production costs associated with machinery operations are included as part of the cost of the various inputs and reflect average custom rates per acre for the operation.
In addition, the sample budgets include costs for the following variable items: seed, fertilizer, labor, operating capital, pesticides, irrigation, harvesting, grading, packing, and marketing the product. Costs for these items were collected from various sources, including suppliers and current growers. The costs vary across the state and depend upon the exact items used.
Labor for tractor drivers is priced at $8 per hour, and all other labor is priced at $7 per hour. These charges are based on the minimum wage and an allowance for benefits such as social security, workers comp, and unemployment. Labor may not be available on an hourly basis, but for single enterprises it represents the most practical approach of charging the cost of labor to the individual crops. Labor cost should be adjusted to local and seasonal conditions.
Interest on operating and investment capital is charged at 8.75%. Operating capital is assumed to be borrowed from the time the inputs are used until sales are available to repay the loan (an average of 4 months is used in the budgets), but soil fertility requirements should be based on recommendations from soil test results.
The level of fertilizer used in the sample budgets is based on average soil fertility. As an example, commercially mixed fertilizer composed of 17% actual nitrogen, 17% phosphate, and 17% potash (17-17-17) is used in the budgets. When additional applications of nitrogen are needed, ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) is used. The amount and type of fertilizer actually used for a crop and application timing should be based on information from soil test results and information found elsewhere in this manual. Soil tests should always be taken in the months prior to the planting season to take advantage of the nutrient recommendations.
Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, and bactericides may all be necessary for production of high quality cucurbits. The requirements may differ from year to year and from field to field due to fluctuations of pest populations, soil conditions, climatic factors, and the particular variety planted.
Harvesting, grading, packing, and marketing costs are included in each budget. These costs include all processing, packing, and transportation from the time cucurbits are harvested in the field until they are ready to be delivered to a wholesale market. These costs may vary significantly, depending upon how and where the product is packed and marketed.
For each crop, a budget lists the expected marketable yield and selling price with gross income; quantity of operating inputs with their unit price; and per acre variable and fixed costs (see Appendix 1-Costs and Returns). Returns above total operating cost (variable costs) are shown and provide an estimate of the returns available to pay fixed costs, management, and overhead. Fixed costs in the sample budgets include insurance and land charges. Also shown are the returns above all costs except overhead, risk, and management.
The second series of tables (see Appendix 1-Sensitivity Analysis) provide a sensitivity analysis for the respective crops to estimate the expected returns above operating costs for 8 price and 7 yield combinations. The sensitivity analysis includes a range of differences in yields and selling prices to provide the producer an opportunity to evaluate the potential losses or increases in revenues associated with various levels of yields or different selling prices that might be encountered at the end of the growing season. The method of calculating the sensitivity analysis for price and yield variations requires that each level of yield include the basic pre-plant and growing costs from the budget; but must also contain a cost adjustment based on the costs associated with harvesting the crop plus the cost of grading, packing, and marketing the crop; plus the interest associated with borrowing enough money to grow, harvest, and market the crop. The formula for the calculation is
R = PY- (G+S+I)
Where R = per acre return; PY = price x yield; G = pre-plant and growing costs; S = yield x (harvest, shed, and marketing charge per unit yield); and I = interest rate x (G+S).
Cucurbit yields and prices may vary from year to year and from the beginning of potential harvest to the end of harvest. A fresh market producer must be prepared to accept a low price in years when weather is extremely favorable for cucurbit production or when production expands for other reasons, such as a large increase in the planted acreage of the crop. Yields may also be influenced by pest problems. Pesticides may offer only partial protection against variations in yields caused by some pests.
There are many risks associated with cucurbit production. Quality of the fruit produced is influenced by many factors. Without good quality fruit, cucurbits may not be saleable at a profitable price or even marketed at all. Factors that influence fruit quality include weather conditions (hail, blowing sand, wind, frost, freeze, drought, heat, or too much water at the wrong time), fertilizer and weather interactions, soil conditions, handling during harvest, post-harvest storage conditions, weed infestations, insect infestations, and disease problems.
Marketable yield is the key to profits. High yields without quality can be less profitable than low yields with high quality.
Vegetable marketing is more important than marketing for any other agricultural commodity produced in Oklahoma. When the fruit is ready for sale, it must be sold within a few days. It is highly recommended that a method of marketing be considered before planting the cucurbit crop.
Cucurbit growers may have numerous alternatives for marketing fresh produce.
All of the alternatives have characteristics that make them more advantageous
for different types of producers. Volume of produce grown, location
of the grower, personal time available for marketing activities, and quality
of the produce are a few of the important factors to consider when choosing
a market or combination of markets to use. Producers may be able to use or develop
more alternatives if they know the major characteristics of each marketing alternative.
Marketing alternatives are classified as direct or non-direct markets. The direct markets (Table 1) involve producer interaction with consumers and include pick-your-own operations, roadside stands, and farmers' markets. Non-direct outlets involve producer interaction with market intermediaries. The non-direct markets (Table 2) include terminal markets, grower cooperatives, peddling to grocery stores and restaurants, and selling to wholesalers/brokers.
All of the alternatives discussed are generally cash market sales and do not involve prior contracts with buyers. However, it is generally advisable for producers to call or visit non-direct buyers before attempting to deliver a load of produce to them. This way growers learn about special quality standards and packaging guidelines that must be followed. This lessens the risk of having the produce rejected when delivered but does not guarantee acceptance or specific price. Marketing to processors generally involves prior contracts with the grower and is not discussed in this manual.
Pick-Your-Own
At a pick-your-own or u-pick outlet, a grower opens a part or all of his fields to consumers who wish to harvest the crop themselves. Pick-your-own opportunities can be open to the general public, or a list of qualified pickers can be used to retain more control over the conduct of pickers. Such operations are usually successful when close to large, urban areas.
Characteristics of pick-your-own operations are included in Table 1. The most prominent advantages of pick-your-own marketing are potentially lower harvesting and transportation costs and the reduced requirement to train and supervise harvesters. Principal disadvantages include potential liability for picker accidents and damage to fields. Another difficulty is matching volume of produce available for sale with the number of pickers and their needs. It may be important to have family or hired labor available to pick if produce begins to ripen and customer traffic is slow. This suggests the usefulness of having two or more marketing alternatives if demand is not sufficient at the primary outlet.
Roadside Markets
Roadside markets are generally operated on a grower's property, adjacent to well-traveled roadways, and are used to sell locally grown produce or produce purchased from growers in adjacent regions. Roadside markets have proven to be very popular in several areas of Oklahoma. In the second column of Table 1, the characteristics of roadside markets are described.
When markets are located near production regions, transportation costs are low. However, producing vegetables in or near urban areas can be expensive because of the development potential of the land and/or complications arising from residential/farm conflicts. Roadside markets may require a broad variety of products to successfully generate sufficient customer traffic and sales volume to justify the expense of running the outlet. In order to operate for 12 months in Oklahoma, a roadside market would have to buy produce from other production regions. Producers who are very familiar with the produce distribution system may be successful. Operating as a seasonal outlet for only locally grown produce limits sales volume, and may limit the variety of produce available. It can be profitable with a good location and especially with an excellent reputation for high quality produce.
Farmers' Market
A farmers' market is organized so growers and buyers can exchange produce. Each grower is assessed a fee to sell his or her produce at the market, and buyers are attracted by the variety and volume of fresh produce available from different producers. Several southern states have state farmers' markets, which resemble small terminal markets. In Oklahoma, farmers' markets are usually retail markets in urban areas. Brokers have operated at some of the markets to sell produce for growers. Further information regarding farmers markets can be obtained from the Market Development Department of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture at 405.521.3864.
The principal advantages of farmers' markets are the variety and volume of produce available and the potential for market owners to advertise the market and attract customers. Another advantage is allowing the products to mature and ripen on the plant, which provides market differentiation between these products and others that have been harvested before maturity for shipping and shelf life purposes. Two disadvantages of farmers' markets can be the volume of similar produce that several growers may have at the market at the same time and a lack of coordination of growers and customers by the market management. Effective management can overcome both problems. Unless operated in or near large cities, retail farmers' markets will not provide a market for large volumes of produce.
Terminal Markets
Terminal markets are central markets generally located in major cities where several brokers, wholesalers, distributors, and/or jobbers are grouped together. Produce from several production regions is assembled and shipped to grocery stores, restaurants, and chain-store warehouses (Table 2). Merchants at these outlets can supply their customer with less than truckloads of different produce items. These outlets would be direct competition for growers trying to peddle their own produce. The state, city, or private companies can own the market. Terminal markets in the Oklahoma market region include markets in Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, and Houston.
Cooperative and Private Packing Facilities: Cooperative and private packing facilities are organized by growers or other individuals to construct marketing facilities to achieve marketing efficiency through greater total volume. By paying for USDA grading and inspection, these outlets can sometimes produce more uniform products that are easy to describe and sell using the telephone. Cooperatives are often organized where there is a concentration of small to mid-sized growers of one or several related crops in one area.
Table 1. Characteristics of direct marketing alternatives
Table 2. Characteristics of non-direct marketing alternatives
Benefits of large volume packing can include lower per unit costs, uniform grading and sizing, and the ability to hire sales specialists. Sales specialists that have good contacts with chain store and wholesale buyers can play an important role in marketing large volumes. There has been little recent use of such firms among fruit and vegetable growers in Oklahoma, although considerable potential exists. These firms can be important suppliers of plants, seed, or fertilizer that might not be available in a region.
Peddling to Restaurants and Grocery Stores
Peddling to restaurants and grocery stores involves the grower transporting produce to various restaurants and stores. This type of marketing can become a consistent outlet once a list of customers is developed. Restaurants' purchases of produce for salad bars have grown tremendously over the last few years. However, many restaurants and grocery stores are chain stores or franchised operations, which sometimes restricts the ability of local managers to deal with independent suppliers. In addition, these outlets require frequent delivery of a variety of products. The volume of products that one grower can produce may not be high enough to justify the delivery costs. Thus, transportation costs per unit may be high, depending on the size and locations of the outlets. For a high quality producer, prices might be high enough to justify the expense of delivering produce directly to stores and other customers.
Wholesalers/Brokers
A wholesaler is an individual or business firm that buys large quantities of produce from a grower or another dealer for resale and distribution. The wholesaler may sell to a retail store, an institutional buyer, or another wholesaler. Wholesalers differ from brokers because they take delivery and assume ownership of the produce.
A broker is an individual or firm that acts as an agent for the buyer and seller. In Oklahoma, watermelon growers frequently rely on brokers to find buyers for their products.
Both have similar advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is the volume of produce that these outlets handle. Growers attempting to use the outlets need to be keenly aware of how the produce must be packaged to ensure easy bulk handling. This may require the grower to obtain particular types of cartons and package goods for efficient handling.
Selecting the best outlets for produce depends not only on the characteristics of the outlets but also on the characteristics of the producer. The first key to successful produce marketing is, know the buyers' needs. For both direct and non-direct outlets, knowing the buyers' quality requirements is extremely important. Packaging requirements are most important for the non-direct outlets. For many of these outlets, the grower is advised to know the buyers' requirements prior to making production decisions.
The producer also needs to understand that use of different outlets requires different time commitments. Many producers may not have the time or expertise to operate their own outlets or to peddle produce on routes. The producer needs to understand his or her constraints and abilities.
The producer may not be producing sufficient volumes to make long hauls efficient. Quality of produce may restrict users from particular outlets. Understanding production abilities, such as qualities and volume of production, represents the third key to successful marketing.
Producers need to match production and marketing abilities with outlet selections. They may diversify by using more than one type of outlet or more than one outlet of each type. This may be especially true for producers with a variety of crops or different qualities or sizes of the same crop.
Field Sources
Cucurbits may become contaminated in the field by animal manure, irrigation water, and so on. If field-contamination progresses uncontrolled, it can lead to chronic contamination of packing facilities with illness-causing microorganisms. Therefore, field-contamination control measures are a vital part of any overall food safety program.
Prevention of field contamination should begin with proper growing site selection and maintenance. Potential production fields should be investigated regarding use history (past crops, grazing, etc.) and checked to make certain that the soil has not been treated with improperly composted organic matter within the last year. Materials such as un-composted animal manure should concern producers. Property surrounding the site should be checked to determine if runoff onto production fields may contain fecal contamination from waste-water treatment sites, feedlots, or confinement facilities for poultry or swine. Also, production fields should not be close to or downstream from packing shed cull piles or refuse disposal sites.
When choosing fertilization practices for production fields, consider soil and crop needs and the potential of different materials to harbor microbial contamination. Inorganic fertilizers generally originate from synthetic chemicals and have little potential for contamination. Un-composted and improperly composted manure has a much higher potential of contamination with pathogenic microbes.
Even with the best in-field sanitation practices, soil carried from the field on transport equipment, workers, and containers become sources of contamination. For this reason, whenever possible, clean materials, including produce, coming into the packing shed. Consider using a sanitizing agent as described below as part of the cleaning process. Damaged or diseased fruit should be culled in the field to avoid contaminating good fruit during packing. Fruit culling should take place as early in the packing process as possible.
Microbial contamination of fresh produce comes from water. It acts as a carrier for many types of foodborne pathogens including: Escherichia coli (E-Coli), Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp, Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Toxisplasma gondii, the Norwalk virus, and hepatitis A. Both irrigation water and water used in the packing shed should be tested for microbial contamination. If pathogens are found, treat the water to remedy the problem. Irrigation methods vary considerably regarding their potential for contaminating produce. Applying water to fields using drip or furrow irrigation is less likely to spread contamination onto produce than overhead watering with sprinklers that wets both leaves and fruit with water and soil.
Workers are another possible source of microbial contamination in the field and packing shed. Proper worker hygiene is critical for maintaining food safety. Adequate restroom and hand washing facilities must be provided, and workers must be regularly trained in food safety basics, such as proper hand washing before beginning work and after breaks and restroom use, in both the field and packing shed. Workers directly handling produce should wear properly sanitized gloves. Workers with wounds that might come into contact with the produce should not handle product during harvest or packing operations. Gloves are useful, but are not a substitute for proper hand washing and sanitizing. With the right training, workers can become the first line of defense in ensuring the success of any food safety program.
Many types of pests contaminate packing sheds, equipment, and produce. These include birds, insects, and rodents or other mammals. In this context, pests may include domestic animals such as dogs and cats. It may not be feasible to completely exclude these pests, but simple steps such as traps for rodents or screens over exposed rafters to keep birds from landing can help. Animal waste should never accumulate. Dead animals, fruit waste, and other items that attract pests should be promptly removed. Any pest control measures utilized should be documented and monitored to support the grower and shipper in case of a foodborne disease outbreak.
Produce handling equipment and facilities may become a source of contamination once harmful microorganisms have been introduced by any of the carriers mentioned above. Every food safety program should have a regular, documented cleaning routine. The proper use of cleaners and sanitizers is vital to prevent the formation of hard-to-kill buildups of microorganisms called bio-films.
HACCP is an acronym that stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.
Food processors have used this plan/process for several decades to ensure the
safety of processed foodstuffs. HACCP-like programs can be developed for producers
and shippers in the fresh produce industry. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration
and the United States Department of Agriculture came together to help develop
guidelines to ensure the safety of fresh produce on the farm and in the packing
shed. These guidelines are outlined in two publications, "Food Safety Begins
on the Farm: A Grower's Guide" and "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food
Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables." These publications are
an excellent source of information for producers and shippers and are available
at 607.254.5383 for the grower's guide and at Food Safety Initiative Staff (HFS-32)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition, 200 C Street SW Washington, DC 20204
Or on the Internet at: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodguid.html, respectively for the shippers guide.
· Test strength of any chlorinated dump or wash water and change as needed.
· Inspect handling/packing lines and remove any dirt and fruit debris. These may become reservoirs of microorganisms spreading contamination to other produce.
· Remove culled fruit and other trash from packing area.
· Change and rechlorinate or sanitize water in dump or wash tanks. When disposing of chlorinated water be sure to check local regulations.
· Clean and sanitize handling and packing line equipment, floors, drains, waste receptacles, and bathrooms.
· Clean and sanitize cold rooms, including ceiling, floors, walls, condenser coils, and doors or curtains.
· Maintaining a proper "cold-chain" is critical to controlling microbial growth. Produce should always be cooled as quickly as practical and kept cool when possible during storage and transportation. This helps maximize quality.
· Proper layout of the facility and equipment can prevent contamination. Try segregating "clean" and "dirty" areas so that equipment, products, and people do not move through "dirty" areas once cleaned. Also, be aware of storage of possible chemical contaminants such as sanitizers. These should always be stored away from produce handling and storage areas.
· Promptly correct flaws in handling equipment that result in mechanical injury to the fruit. Damaged fruit can become an incubator for disease causing microorganisms.
· Prepare boxes and cartons only as needed for packing. Pre-assembled containers can become harbors for pests or other contaminants.
· Produce should always be kept off the floor. Discard any product that falls on the floor.
· Periodically inspect fruit in storage and promptly remove any fruit that develops signs of injury or disease. These fruit can spread contamination to healthy fruit nearby.
Chlorine-based sanitizers are commonly used for treating wash water as well as equipment cleaning. Dilute mixtures of sodium hypochlorite, the chlorinating agent found in household bleach, are frequently used. Systems employing chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide are also available.
The use of hypochlorite as a sanitizer offers several advantages including low cost, easy availability, and rapid effectiveness against a wide range of microorganisms. Disadvantages include corrosiveness, irritating fumes, and rapid loss of killing power in the presence of organic compounds such as soil and plant material debris. The corrosiveness of hypochlorite makes it generally unsuitable for use on iron, galvanized-iron, and mild steel equipment.
Concentrations of up to 200 parts per million (ppm) active chlorine (21 CFR
Part 178) may be used on food contact surfaces with adequate draining without
a potable water rinse afterward. Concentrations of up to 2,000 ppm hypochlorite
(21 CFR Part 173) may be used in produce wash water provided there is a subsequent
potable water rinse. One tablespoon of household bleach (5.25% hypochlorite)
per gallon of water gives about a 200 ppm solution. Contact
times of 1 to 5 minutes at 200 ppm are usually sufficient to achieve a thorough
kill, depending on chlorine concentration and organic load. Hypochlorite solutions
should be checked frequently for strength, because chlorine is lost due to interaction
with organic compounds as well as evaporation.
Quaternary ammonia compounds, or quats, are also commonly used as sanitizing agents. These have the advantage of being non-corrosive and non-irritating. As a result, they are often employed to clean aluminum, non-stainless steel, or iron equipment for which a chlorine-based solution may be too corrosive. They also have good residual activity and are stable in the presence of organic matter. Quats are less effective than other types of sanitizers against gram-negative microorganisms such as E. coli. Therefore, a stronger solution, in the range of 500 or greater ppm with a longer contact time of 20 minutes or more may be recommended for equipment cleaning. As with hypochlorite, a potable water rinse is required when concentrations greater than 200 ppm active quaternary compound are used on food contact surfaces.
Iodophors are iodine-containing sanitizers. They have several advantages as sanitizing agents. Iodophors are effective against a very wide range of microorganisms and are generally non-irritating. They have good penetrating power and work well to prevent biofilm formation. In addition, unlike many other sanitizers, they maintain their killing power over a wide pH range and work well in hard water. They are expensive compared to many other sanitizers. While iodophors are less corrosive than hypochlorite solutions, they may still be unsuitable for sanitizing iron or galvanized-iron equipment. These compounds may be slower acting at typical concentrations than either quats or hypochlorites. A potable water rinse is required when concentrations greater than 25 ppm iodine are used on food contact surfaces.
Pre-rinsing with water will often help in overall cleaning. The use of an acid-detergent cleanser may also help clean certain types of soil such as mineral deposits. Cleaning supply vendors are a good resource for specific information on cleaning needs. Cleaning, sanitizing, and rinsing should always be done from the top down, to avoid recontaminating cleaned areas. Also, cleanser should not be allowed to dry on surfaces as this may lead to incomplete cleanser removal and product contamination.
Documenting any food safety program establishes diligence in case of suspected
problems or foodborne illness outbreaks. The basic elements of a food safety
plan should be written down and records of compliance should be kept.
These do not need to be elaborate, but they should include basic information
on what was done, who did it, when it was done, and the results of any tests
performed, for example chlorine strength in wash water. Records should be dated
and signed. Such records are typically kept for 3 years. Periodically review
these records in order to identify and fix any consistent problem areas that
may turn up. These practices form the basis of a HACCP plan that can be formalized
if needed or desired.
Above all, a useful food safety program for packing shed facilities is based on common sense. Keep things clean, keep things sanitary, and look for possible problems before they become food safety issues. On-going training and awareness of food safety issues, from the workers on up, can help protect producers, processors, retailers, and the public. Safer, more wholesome food is in everyone's interest.
Table 3. Glossary of food safety terms1
