Whether fruits and vegetables are grown in an open field or in a protected greenhouse environment, there are potential risks for contamination from human pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. Increasingly, producers are asked to test products, production environments, and irrigation water while the industry witnesses a number of product recalls based on erroneous test results. And more selective and sensitive pathogen detection technologies are showing promise when it comes to helping growers incorporate microbial testing in their food safety plans. As a result, food safety detection technologies are finding broad applications beyond merely testing for pathogens. These include testing for pesticide residues, detection programs for allergens, and even testing to verify food authenticity.
Beyond product testing
The future of pathogen testing isn’t just about the test itself, but also about the size of the sample taken and the concentration of the microorganism. Technologies are currently under development, or are being adapted from other areas of the food industry, that will change how our industry conducts business. Consider how differently we deal with pesticide detection compared to 25 years ago. We’ve moved from being able to measure parts per million detection ranges to parts per billion with improvements in technology. Now, consider the future potential of pathogen detection technology, even five years from now.
Sampling technologies. There currently aren’t statistically significant sampling models for product testing in produce. It’s impossible to test everything because tests destroy the fruits and vegetables making them unfit for market. Furthermore, pathogen contamination is rare and occurs at low levels when it does happen. So if the sample tests positive, it’s positive. If results are negative, however, you can’t be confident the sample is truly negative. What’s needed are sampling models that give us confidence that if we test “X” number of units, we can establish a statistical confidence the sample is free of pathogen contamination. We need to be able to take large numbers of samples without destroying the very products we want to sell. The Department of Defense and others have been developing environmental sampling technologies to detect weaponized microbiological contamination events in battlefield environments. Researchers in Florida have been working with micro-filters that can be used to sample large volumes of irrigation or process water for testing. These technologies could eventually find their way into commercial product and water testing in produce.
Genome sequencing holds the key to more selective and sensitive tests. Scientists are learning more about the genetics of pathogens and the genes involved in causing human illnesses. It’s possible to use these genes as platforms for the detection of pathogens in water, the environment, or on plants. And by looking at more than one gene at a time, referred to as “multiplexing,” growers are able to get a greater degree of confidence when testing for pathogens. Additionally, the FDA and others have developed rapid genome sequencing methods that now allow for a complete mapping of a sample in single day. This type of swift and comprehensive genome technology could improve the speed of illness investigations and reduce the need for traditional and time consuming confirmational testing.
Data modeling. Every day growers are collecting data from a number of areas including food safety audits, water applications, environmental tests, fertilizer treatments, pesticide sprays, crop observations, and more. Novel uses for this information — which is already being collected — could permit growers to proactively predict yield, quality and even the potential for pathogen contamination. At the 2013 Center for Produce Safety (CPS) Produce Research Symposium, research conducted by Martin Wiedmann of Cornell University was presented and gave the first real examples of using data to build predictive models around pathogen movement through production environments and therefore better isolate sample areas. Translating science-based research like this into real-world food-safety solutions is what CPS’s annual research program is all about.
Testing doesn’t guarantee
While the future of pathogen detection certainly stands to make huge gains in the safety of fresh produce, it’s important to remember we can’t test our way to food safety. No single test will ever provide 100 percent assurance, which is why risk assessment must be used as the framework for any food safety program. In our comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the proposed produce rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) made the same case around the need for risk assessment, a provision currently lacking in FDA’s proposal.
A risk assessment provides a multitiered, prevention-based approach to food safety. It requires an in-depth look at each facet of your operation and consideration of potential points of contamination, e.g. fertilizers, water, equipment, and people followed by the identification of management practices to control the true contamination risks. Your ability to understand food safety risks in your unique operation also informs the level and type of testing necessary and the data models you can build, ultimately helping you make better decisions that better protect public health and your operation.
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Produce rule will impact growers The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed in 2011 and has been slowly and deliberately rolled out via a series of FDA proposed rules. As the comment periods on FSMA proposed rules close, FDA will begin reviewing submitted comments and working on finalizing FSMA rules which will impact many facets of the produce business, ranging from growing to transportation to storage to marketing. With proposed rules still in development and comment periods still open, the final regulations are still subject to change. One of the most important regulations for growers to be aware of is the Produce Rule. Farmers will be subject to new provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, called implementing regulations which will extend to farmers. “Basically the act says a couple of things: you can’t introduce product which is adulterated in the marketplace, and you can’t hold, pack, ship, or manufacture food under unsanitary conditions,” says Dr. James Gorny, vice president of food safety and technology for the Produce Marketing Association. Food manufacturers are already covered by implementing regulations called Good Manufacturing Practices. These, too, will be updated as per FSMA. For growers, an implementing regulation is totally new and could likely cause significant changes for some growers. “The new implementing regulations for produce will clearly define sanitary procedures, practices, and processes on the farm,” Gorny says. The FDA is providing rules with regard to aspects such as the quality of water used for irrigation, soil amendment such as compost, worker health and hygiene, and the quality of packing facilities, among other things. “For some people (the Produce Rule) might be a drastic departure, but for the vast majority I think it’s going to be fairly straightforward,” Gorny says. “The area that is probably the most contentious is agricultural water. The quality of water that people use in agriculture, particularly for growing crops, has never been regulated before. Water is a really precious commodity, particularly for a grower and they often don’t have an alternative source if it doesn’t meet the microbial quality standards.” Gorny believes the FDA has heard the concerns about water regulations and the agency has publicly stated that it will issue a second proposal on agricultural water. Within the proposed Produce Rule there are a number of exemptions and exclusions that could mean the new regulations may not apply to you or your operation. If you’re producing less than $25,000 of produce per year, you’re excluded. If you’re producing $500,000 of produce annually, or less, and you’re selling at least half of it directly to end-users, such as grocers, you’re exempt. When the FDA issues its set of final rules, they will be published in the Federal Registrar. Once published, the regulations will, as proposed, become effective 60 days after publication. However, companies will not be expected to be fully compliant until a year or two after the publication, as compliance dates are based off company size. — Chris Mosby |
Fail to act; prepare to fail
PMA members tell us food safety is their top priority. We know food safety detection technology holds tremendous potential for safeguarding fresh fruits and vegetables, but these technologies only work when companies are able to identify and understand how to apply these innovations to their businesses. As the association representing the fresh produce industry, it’s our job to help produce companies capitalize on emerging technologies by translating complex issues and providing detailed information and industry-specific context.
To succeed at feeding the world through innovation, produce growers need to be aware of the evolving science and technology, to learn what forward-thinking applications are most relevant to your business, and to make sure your food safety program not only reflects the expanding knowledge, but also is grounded in risk prevention.
Bob Whitaker, is chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association.
Explore the April 2014 Issue
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