CAFPA Meeting on Food Safety Challenges and Solutions for Various Commodities
On October 28, 2011, the Capital Area Food Protection Association (CAFPA) held its fall meeting at the Grocery Manufacturers Association in Washington, DC. The meeting focused on food safety challenges and solutions for various commodities, including produce, spices, and meat.
Dr. David Gombas of the United Fresh Produce Association presented on food safety challenges related to produce. The term “fresh produce” encompasses over 300 commodities sourced internationally and from over 100,000 farms within the US. Between the years 2000-2010 there were 73 produce-related outbreaks. Most were attributed to the following: 16 were attributed to tomatoes, 15 were attributed to lettuce, seven to cantaloupe, and six to berries. Fresh-cut produce was linked to 22 of the 73 outbreaks. Dr. Gombas discussed the recent 2011 outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupes and that contamination has been attributed to unsanitary packing conditions at the plant, not from the field. One challenge concerning produce related outbreaks and recalls is that the source of contamination is not always clear. For example, the contamination source for the 2006 Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach has not been officially determined by FDA. Media reports speculated that feral swine contaminated the fields, but this cause was not cited in the FDA report. The main risk factors for produce include water, workers (hygiene, behaviors), equipment (sanitation), animals (particularly wild animals), and manure. Flooding, adjacent land activities (such as dairy farms) and prior land use are also potential risk factors. Animal related risks are the hardest to control. Many guidance documents are available that address commodity-specific controls and mitigation strategies. Dr. Gombas also discussed how the escalation of some food safety standards may lead to resource constraints without proven positive public health outcomes and stressed the importance of risk ranking.
Susan Brown of McCormick presented on spice related controls. McCormick imports the majority of its spices from over 40 countries around the world. They have the same high expectations for imports as they do for US sourced spices and ingredients. Supply chain control is critical to ensure the safety and quality of products and has three major components; 1. strategic vendor relationships, 2. control of source materials, and 3. control of the manufacturing process. These controls provide assurances from farm to factory. Strategic vendor relationships means that the vendor understands and adheres to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), manages their operations with rigorous quality programs and complies with US regulatory requirements. These strategic suppliers source and process spices and herbs starting from the whole form, allowing minimal possibility of intentional and inadvertent contamination. The manufacturing process is controlled through working relationships with the growers, high standards for processing facilities, process controls, well defined quality assurance programs, inspections and testing of incoming product, and annual audits among others controls. Many guidance documents on best practices related to spices are freely available from the American Spice Trade Association on their website; www.astaspice.org. Some of the available guidance documents include reducing the risk of contamination; preventing environmental contamination, cross-contamination, and post-process contamination during process and storage; microbial reduction techniques; post-treatment testing; and verifying a clean process environment.
Scott Goltry of the American Meat Institute presented on food safety challenges related to meat. The major drivers for improving food safety include research, emerging issues, and consumer education. Consumer perceptions can also impact food safety initiatives. Research can uncover new processing tools and interventions. Emerging issues drive research and regulatory policy, for example with additional strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli recently being declared adulterants in ground beef. Goltry provided recommendations for developing microbiological regulations, which included focusing on prevention, first performing public health risk assessments, validating analytical laboratory test methods, conducting baseline surveys for organism(s) of concern, measuring progress based on public health outcomes, expediting approval of new microbial interventions, determining the impact on international trade, and providing an open and transparent public policy process. FSIS has an initiative to educate consumers in food safety best practices and change transportation, storage, and in-kitchen behaviors. Increasing in-home thermometer use is especially important.
There was also a presentation by a graduate student who won this year’s CAFPA Student Travel Award, which supports travel to the International Association of Food Protection annual meeting. Sarah Markland from the University of Delaware provided an overview of her research on superdormant Bacillus spores. For more information about the meeting or about CAFPA, please contact Emily Mathusa at emathusa@gmaonline.org.
Our speakers have graciously agreed to provide their presentations from the meeting.
Presentation by David Gombas (United Fresh Produce Association): CAFPA – Gombas – 111028
Presentation by Susan Brown (McCormick): CAFP GMA OCT 2011
Presentation by Scott Goltry (American Meat Institute): GoltryCAFPA10-11