Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The ource of contamination was linked to inappropriate
plant hygiene practices. Pao
et al
. (1998) investigated the
survival and growth of
Salmonella spp
.,
Escherichia coli
O157:H7,
Listeria monocytogenes
and
Staphylococcus
aureus
on freshly peeled Hamlin orange subjected to room
(24°C) and refrigeration (4°C or 8°C) temperatures.
Refrigeration temperatures effectively inhibited the
growth of all pathogens and caused population reduction
of
Salmonella spp
. and
S. aureus
. Maintaining the cold
chain during transport and distribution are therefore criti-
cal to retain fruit quality and prevent any potential growth
of contaminants.
Correct harvesting, handling, grading and cleaning prac-
tices within the citrus supply chain are therefore essential
to ensure high quality and safe fresh fruit or minimally pro-
cessed or processed products. This requires the establish-
ment of preventative practices and food safety assurance
systems. Private schemes such as Globalgap for on farm
assurance and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) based standards for pack houses and processing
plants (ISO 22000; British Retail Consortium (BRC), Safe
Quality Food (SQF) etc.) are now commonly used by the
citrus industry globally to prevent or reduce likelihood of
contamination.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical input of
Ms Amelita Lombard, Ane van Heerden and Karen de
Reuck in terms of providing research assistance, literature
review and editing of this chapter.
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SUMMARY
A more sophisticated holistic approach to total fruit pro-
duction within a framework of GAP will ensure a safe
quality product and provide retail with the desired extended
shelf life. Ensuring such a holistic approach starts in the
orchard using practical basic sanitation - and hygiene
practices with timely effective disease control spray pro-
grammes. By following an approach of continual worker
training to ensure more careful product handling and
effective implementation of hygiene and sanitation prac-
tices and management to ensure effective resistance
prevention strategies, will ensure that fungicides will be
retained longer in the market providing much needed pro-
tection at the retail end. Integrating various disease control
methods can also provide a more sustainable practical
solution for citrus producers. Effective management of the
cold chain to ensure a seamless in transit and storage
temperature can ensure that conditions are not favourable
for pathogen germination, infection and ultimate decay
development. Several biocontrol agents have been shown
to be effective when used on their own, but often provide
more durable consistent control if integrated with other
chemical products. Several alternative disease control
options are available and have shown some potential for
total citrus quality.
