Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
implemented. The HACCP system involves an evaluation of every step in the
handling chain by the dif erent individuals handling a commodity from harvest
to the consumer. The critical points where contamination could occur are
identifi ed and procedures developed to ensure that safety is maintained. The
procedures are called standard operating procedures (SOP), and responsibility
is assigned to someone in authority to ensure that these SOPs are carried out.
Such safety programmes involve a number of principles, including developing
a plan to carry out inspections, good record-keeping and steps to ensure safety
throughout handling, shipping and storage, and monitoring to ensure that
procedures are being implemented, and, most importantly, assignment of
responsibility.
In the USA, major retailers and food service chains are putting restrictions
on and demanding compliance by suppliers to avoid food microbial
contamination. These require self- and third-party audits, as the buyers set
the terms. The objective is to verify use of good agricultural practices (GAP)
and good manufacturing practices (GMP). Voluntary guidelines have been
issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The document
Guide
to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
can
be found on the FDA web site (
www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/prodguid.html).
Third-party audits are performed by private companies, and some of their
web sites contain information as to how audits are carried out and the
postharvest practices that are evaluated. In Europe, GlobalGAP (
http://www.
&subid=&idcat=9)
has been developed by large retailers and includes social
and environmental aspects. Most of the guidelines are common sense, and
are possibly already being done but not being monitored and recorded. A
comprehensive food safety programme based upon risk assessment includes
employee training, audits, food safety record-keeping and a senior manager in
charge of the programme.
The goal of all food safety programmes is the prevention of contamination.
The harvest considerations to prevent contamination are only picking dry
fruit, leaving fruit that has bird droppings on them, use of clean bags or
buckets for collection, training workers on the importance of hand-washing
and cooling the product quickly. Further steps to reduce contamination are
excluding animals from the orchards and packing facilities and the use of
potable and chlorinated water to prevent cross-contamination. Clean bins and
containers should be used to transport fruit.
FRUIT RIPENING
Ethylene gas, which is a natural plant growth regulator, is used postharvest
to ripen fruit. Fruit ripening is carried out with ethylene (~1000 ppm) under
controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions. The objective of
