Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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What are effective exclusion measures for feral animals?
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What new animal husbandry practices can be used in livestock operations to reduce
microbial hazards and risks associated with raw manure?
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Under normal growing conditions, is internalization via the roots a signifi cant risk
factor in the fi eld? If so, how does this compare to surface contamination and also
to known internalization risks via wounds, stomata, etc., that can occur during
harvesting, sorting, washing, processing, and packaging?
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Are current irrigation water quality standards adequate to prevent pathogen con-
tamination of fruits and vegetables? What microbial water quality standards should
be recommended for irrigation water delivered to plants by surface or overhead
methods? Can water treatment procedures be implemented in-fi eld?
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What are the transfer coeffi cients of microorganisms in water, soil, crops, equip-
ment, and food contact surfaces?
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What is the best way to balance the needs for meeting new food safety rules with
environmentally sustainable, best land management practices?
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How can compost verifi cation programs be improved?
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What improvements in sanitary design and sanitation can be made to produce han-
dling equipment in fi elds, packinghouses, processing operations, and in the cold
chain?
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How do the various risk factors compare in signifi cance and level of reduction?
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What are the components of a comprehensive risk reduction model for any given
produce commodity?
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Can cold-chain monitoring and compliance be improved with new wireless sensor
technologies?
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What are the risk factors in retail food stores that can be addressed?
Containment
The containment of pathogens has two aspects: 1) rapid and accurate testing and
detection (Ch. 16-18) and 2) developing appropriate response plans when contamina-
tion is detected. Well-developed action plans are required to deal with pathogen-
contaminated produce in the short (Ch. 6, 19), medium (Ch. 20), and long term (Ch.
21, 22). The following are some of the critical questions pertaining to
containment
:
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How can fi elds be tested and certifi ed prior to planting, particularly after potential
contamination events occur?
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Is detection of aerial contamination from windblown manure or dust a practical or
meaningful risk reduction approach?
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How can microbial sampling of equipment be improved?
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How can the transmission of pathogens from farm, packinghouse, retail food store,
and food-service workers be reduced?
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What seasonal or environmental factors would trigger enhanced monitoring in the
fi eld?
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What are the parameters of a testing program (methodology, sampling plan,
frequency of testing, sample size, etc.) that would adequately detect pathogen
