Search Results for: food safety plan

On Farm Food Safety References

1 “Produce GAPS Harmonized Food Safety Standard,” United Fresh, Draft Version 8/26/2010.

2 Canadian Horticultural Council, “Combined Vegetable Producer, Storage Intermediary and Packer On-Farm Food Safety Manual,” Version 4.0, 2010.

3 Trevor Suslow, “Good Agricultural Practices A Self-Audit for Growers and Handlers,” University of California Davis.

4 Anusuya Rangarajan, Elizabeth A. Bihn, Robert B. Gravani, Donna L. Scott, and Marvin P. Pritts, “Food Safety Begins on the Farm Good Agricultural Practices for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables A Grower’s Guide: Field Sanitation and Animal Exclusion,” Cornell University.

5 Community Alliance with Family Farmers, “Your Farm: Family Farm Good Agricultural Practices “GAPs” and Standard Operating Procedures “SOPs,” Draft May 3, 2009.

6 Trevor Suslow, “Key Points of Control and Management of Microbial Food Safety: Information for Growers, Packers, and Handlers of Fresh-Consumed Horticultural Products,” UC Davis.

7 “AFDO Model Code,” Association of Food and Drug Officials.

8 Michele Schermann, “FSP4U A Food Safety Plan (Template) for You,” University of Minnesota.

9 “Food Poisoning: Causes,” FoodSafety.gov.

10 Atwill, E.R, “Implications of Wildlife in E. coli Outbreaks Associated with Leafy Green Produce,” 2008.

11 “How to Comply with Accepted LGMA Food Safety Practices,” Western Growers Association.

12 James R. Gorny et al., “Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens,” Accessed August 4, 2010.

13 Penn State University Department of Food Science, “USDA Auditor Guidance,” Part 2, pg. 12, November 2009.

14 United Fresh Produce Association Food Safety and Technology Council, “Microbiological Testing of Fresh Produce.”

15 DWR – Southern District Water Well Standards, Part II, Section 8 and A Guide For The Private Well Owner, Santa Clara Valley Water District, County of Santa Clara, Department of Environmental Health. Appendix A.

16 USDA, National Organic Program (NOP) Standard,.

17 Western Growers Association, “Technical Basis Document for Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Lettuce and Leafy Greens Supply Chain,”2nd Edition, Appendix B.

18 “Title 40 – Protection of Environment CFR Part 503: The Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge,” Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

19 “Code of Federal Regulations – 29CFR1928.110,” Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

20 “Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Leafy Greens,” FDA, Draft Guidance.

21 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, “On-Farm Food Safety: Guide to Food Handling,” Accessed January 12th 2011.

22 Earthbound Farm, Standard Operating Procedure 600.

23 Guidance for Industry Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,” FDA.

24 Produce Marketnig Association and Western Growers, A Growers Guide: Produce Safety Research: A Practical Examination of the Research Presented at Center for Produce Safety 2010 Research Symposium,” pg. 39, 2010.

25 Marilyn Erickson, Faith Critzer, and Michael Doyle, “Composting Criteria on Animal Manure,” Produce Safety Project: An Initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts at Georgetown University.

26 “Allergens,” FoodSafety.gov.

How to Use the Food Safety Tool

CREATE A CUSTOMIZED FOOD SAFETY PLAN

Based on harmonized GAP standards1, this tool utilizes a number of decision trees that help you assess and address areas of food safety risk that are unique to your operation. Using this tool will help you develop a food safety plan that you can print and implement on your farm. It can also help prepare you for a food safety audit should you decide to pursue GAP certification.

To view a sample food safety plan, click here.

How to Use the Food Safety Tool:

Creating a food safety plan takes time. However, you can save your work and return at a later time. Begin by collecting all of your food safety information, documentation, and any training materials that you may already have. Some examples include your food safety policy, accredited laboratory test results, and employee training logs. These will come in handy when you are asked to enter information and attach certain documents.

Once you register to use this tool, you will be guided through a series of questions where you’ll answer “Yes” or “No.” The questions are divided into the following risk areas: General Requirements, Worker Health and Hygiene, Previous Land Use and Site Selection, Agricultural Water, Agricultural Chemicals, Animal and Pest Control, Soil Amendments and Manure, Field Harvesting, Transportation (Field to Packinghouse), Packinghouse Activities, and Final Product Transport. For a list of typical audit questions pertaining to the above risk areas, please click here.

As you answer each question, scroll down the page to make sure you have not missed any additional questions or information.  Clicking the “NEXT” button will save your work and will take you to the following question. When you complete all of the questions in a risk area, click “SAVE”, and this will take you to the next risk area.

Once you have completed all of the questions in each risk area, click “SAVE” and you will be taken to the “Your Latest Manual” page.  On this page, you have the option to do the following:

  1. View Your Manual Online
  2. Save Your Manual as a PDF
  3. Return to Questioning and Edit Your Manual
  4. Review Unanswered Questions
  5. Review your Food Safety Action Checklist
  6. Delete Manual

Best Practices

Best Practices will either be automatically entered into your food safety plan, or there will be an option where you can choose whether or not you want to include a particular Best Practice in your plan.

Forms & Training Materials

Documents, records of procedures (SOPs – standard operating procedures) and policies should be included your Food Safety Plan.  Each risk area section includes Forms and Training Material templates to help you document food safety policies, training logs, and various checklists. All of these documents can be reformatted and adjusted to the needs of your operation.

Resources

The Resource section includes typical audit questions, educational materials and useful links to assist you in developing and/or improving your food safety plan.

Step-by-Step Introduction to Food Safety

Farmers are Food Handlers

As farmers, we stand behind our produce with pride; this is my sweet corn, my melon, my squash . . .

But ultimately, it isn’t our food.

Farmers are food handlers growing someone else’s food. We are responsible for the safety of our produce – our customer’s food.

Potential Sources Of Food Borne Illness

There are numerous ways fresh produce can become a source of food borne illness, including microbial: from humans, animals, insects, soil, or water; chemicals: such as organic or non-organic pesticides, cleaning supplies, or tractor fluids; and physical: pieces of glass, metal, or other materials. Of these, microbial risks cause the majority of food borne illnesses and the most severe impact, including the potential for death and life-long adverse health impacts.

Buyer’s Expectations
Buyers rightfully have expectations that farmers have taken precautions for the safety of their food. Even if you sell direct, are exempt from the FSMA Produce Rule, or don’t have a buyer making food safety demands, as a farmer, you are a food handler, and you are responsible and liable for the safety of your product.

1. Food safety is something that every farm, no matter its size or financial position, must attend to.

2. On-farm food safety practices protect farmers as much as they protect customers.

Food Safety Is A Management Commitment

Having a food safety mindset does not necessarily mean having state-of-the-art equipment or extra staff people to run a food safety program. Evaluating your farm through the lens of food safety, and setting up procedures so that food safety practices are embedded into daily operations, will go a long way toward reducing your farm’s risk of being the source of a food borne illness.

1 st Step: Perform A Farm Risk Assessment

To reduce food safety risks, each farm needs to identify what microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards exist on their farm, assess the risks associated with these hazards, and implement practices to minimize these risks. Each farm must perform their own risk assessment and determine which guidelines are appropriate for their operation.

A helpful tool for farm assessment is to create farm maps that identify previous and present land use. Accurate farm maps, with fields, water, and potential pathogen sources, provide a clear foundation in food safety manuals and help provide full trace back of the farm’s produce. Also, potential risks that might have been overlooked can become evident with the creation of the farm map. Download Farm Maps: Previous and Present Land Use Documentation, a one-page handout that will guide you through creating a farm map assessment.

2 nd Step: Write A Food Safety Plan

Once you’ve done a risk assessment, writing a Food Safety Plan will help you systemize and implement your food safety practices, and develop a record keeping system that documents these practices. It will also provide a valuable tool for training yourself and your employees, and to delegate responsibilities. Having a Food Safety Plan in place and good documentation of that plan is also important protection for your farm’s security, finances, and reputation. If a foodborne illness does occur, having a Food Safety Plan and traceable records puts your farm in a good position. With a plan that you can prove you follow, you are more likely to be able to show that any problem with your produce occurred somewhere else in the food system, not on your farm.

The On-Farm Food Safety Plan Tool, developed by FamilyFarmed, is a free, web-based resource for developing your farm’s Food Safety Plan. Since your Food Safety Plan must be specific and scale appropriate to your individual farm, this tool takes farmers through a series of questions, collects the information, and then generates a customized on-farm Food Safety Plan based on user input. The tool is designed for use by small to mid-scale growers, is available in Spanish and English, and includes a full set of record keeping tools to document food safety programs. Visit www.onfarmfoodsafety.org to learn more.

3 rd Step: Create An Action Plan For Implementation

A written Food Safety Plan won’t serve your farm and customers if you write it, set it on a shelf, and forget about it when the busy season hits. Review your Food Safety Plan and create an Action Plan. Include who will do tasks, when, prioritization, resources needed, and an accountability system. This will create a project management system to help you organize the task of food safety implementation in doable steps. Download our Action Plan template.

Protect Your Farm And Customers

Take the time now to create a Food Safety Plan to protect your farm and customers. Once you have, you will be glad you did, and the biggest part of the task will be behind you. Food safety will be part of your farm’s management commitment, and procedures will be embedded into your daily operations, helping to reduce your farm’s risk of being the source of a food borne illness.

How to Get Food Safety Certified

Why should you consider food safety certification?

  • Being proactive and having a food safety plan in place along with proper documentation is recognized as a wise business practice.
  • Maintaining a clear record of how food was handled and stored, with proper attention being paid to best practices in food safety, assures the people buying your produce that it is coming from a clean, well-managed environment.
  • With many retailers requiring food safety certification, you will increase your ability to gain entry into wholesale and retail markets.

What are the Steps to Food Safety Certification?

Step 1: DEVELOP A FOOD SAFETY PLAN

Step 2: IMPLEMENT THE PLAN

Step 3: THE FOOD SAFETY AUDIT

Step 1: Develop a Food Safety Plan

Developing and following a written food safety plan is an important step toward minimizing the risk of produce contamination on your farm.

This website offers a free, easy-to-use online tool that allows small to mid-scale farmers like you to develop a customized food safety plan. Create a Food Safety Manual will prepare you for an actual food safety audit by helping you assess risk areas specific to your farm operation. In addition to generating a customized on-farm food safety plan, the tool will provide your farm with recordkeeping templates to help document your food safety program and employee training. To view a sample food safety plan, click here.

By utilizing this tool and the accompanying forms, you are providing evidence of your operation?s commitment to reduce the risk of produce contamination grown on your farm.

A completed food safety manual includes:

1. A completed assessment of risk areas specific to your farm operation. Create a Food Safety Manual will help you generate this assessment.

2. All necessary documentation including record keeping forms, training logs, and official documentation received from accredited laboratories. Form templates are provided on the site. Click here for form samples.

To begin creating your customized food safety plan, click here.

Step 2: Implement Your Food Safety Plan

1. ORGANIZATION: Create a binder to house your food safety plan, all necessary forms, and supporting documents. Being organized will prepare you for your food safety audit.

2. TRAINING: Once you have a plan in place, you need to train your employees on your food safety policies and procedures. Use your food safety plan as a training manual. Training logs are available on this site.

3. FOLLOW-THROUGH: So, you have developed a food safety plan, your staff is trained, and you are keeping track of necessary records. To have an effective food safety program, you also need a grower commitment to the plan and continuously reinforce the practices presented in your plan. Diligence in this area is an exemplary business practice.

4. SELF-AUDIT: In addition to creating a food safety plan, performing a self-audit is a great pre-audit tool. Visit the Resources section for self-audit examples.

Step 3: The Food Safety Audit

FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION: If you are considering food safety certification, there are different certification options to choose from that vary by audit frequency, GFSI recognition, and other features.

The type of certification you choose will depend on your retail and supplier requirements. Many retailers are requiring full-certification that is recognized by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). GFSI is an organization that benchmarks existing standards against food safety criteria by comparing food safety schemes to the GFSI Guidance Document. Examples of food schemes include GlobalG.A.P and SQF (Safe Quality Food Institute). Once you have a food safety program in place and are ready to schedule an audit, first consult your selected third-party auditor, retailers and suppliers about their certification requirements and options.

For more information, visit the following sites:

1. USDA Gap and GHP Audit

2. GFSI

3. GlobalG.A.P

4. SQF

SCHEDULE AN AUDIT: Once your food safety program is in place along with records and documentation, the next step towards food safety certification is to schedule a food safety audit.

When scheduling your audit, do keep in mind that you or another representative will have to be present during the audit. The length of time for an audit depends on the size of your operation.

Initially, you will be asked to send the auditor records, such as an aerial map of your fields and facilities. These records may help identify potential sources of contamination in proximity to your production area.

Many diversified growers are unsure if an audit certifies their entire farm. In actuality, audits vary state-to-state, but most often, an audit only certifies one crop. So, it is up to you, the grower, to specify which commodities and which fields or packing facilities you would like certified. The auditor will then schedule a visit when your specified produce is being harvested.

THIRD-PARTY AUDITORS: Click here for a list of third-party auditors.

Here is what to expect on the day of your food safety audit:

1. REVIEW: The auditor will first review your customized food safety plan that you have generated and any attached documentation.

2. THE AUDITOR: The auditor is an observer, not a regulator. For example, you may have entered in your food safety plan that every field worker is required to wear gloves, an apron and a hat or hairnet. The auditor can observe that all field workers are following the policy, but they do not stipulate what the policy should or should not entail.

3. POINT SYSTEM: The auditor will assess whether you have implemented all the items outlined in the food safety plan using a ?matrix? checklist in which each risk area is assigned a point system based on compliance.

4. PHYSICAL INSPECTION: The inspection includes the physical assessment of each field or facility that you have chosen to be considered for certification. The auditor will observe harvesting operations and may even question your employees to ensure that they have a working knowledge of the food safety plan. During the inspection, the auditor will also take into account items such as corrective action procedures, inspections of field equipment, documentation of water tests, cleanliness and proximity of toilet facilities, your traceability system and pest control management.

5. REASONS FOR FAILING INSPECTION: There are many reasons an audit can automatically fail. Examples may be the presence of an immediate food safety risk, evidence of pests, unsanitary conditions and falsification of records. At the point when an automatic failure is observed, the audit will stop and you will be issued a corrective action form. You would then need to determine which measures must be taken to correct the problem and reschedule the audit.

6. FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION: The auditor will review your food safety report with you. The complete report will then be sent to the certification body, and your final audit report and certificate will be mailed to you.

FOOD SAFETY AUDITORS*

*This list is not all-inclusive.

1. United States Department of Agriculture

2. AIB International-Assessment

3. NSF Agriculture (formerly NSF Davis Fresh)

4. PrimusLabs

5. Scientific Certification Systems

6. Safe Quality Food Program (SQF)

If you are interested in learning more about food safety and food safety certification, training sessions are often offered through your local agricultural extension office.

Create a Food Safety Manual

CREATE A CUSTOMIZED FOOD SAFETY PLAN

Based on harmonized GAP standards1, this tool utilizes a number of decision trees that help you assess and address areas of food safety risk that are unique to your operation. Using this tool will help you develop a food safety plan that you can print and implement on your farm. It can also help prepare you for a food safety audit should you decide to pursue GAP certification.

If you created a food safety plan before January 2017, you can access it here.

Existing Users Log In
   

New users please register to create an account.

Lost Password 

Useful Links

For additional information on Food Safety, please explore the following resources and organizations:

USDA/Risk Management Agency Resources (English/Español)

General Food Safety References

Training Materials

Produce and Food Safety Associations

Specific Operational Considerations

Audits

References

References

1 Canadian Horticultural Council, Combined Vegetable Producer, Storage Intermediary and Packer On-Farm Food Safety Manual, Version 4.0, 2010.

2 Trevor Suslow, Good Agricultural Practices A Self-Audit for Growers and Handlers, University of California Davis.

3 Anusuya Rangarajan, Elizabeth A. Bihn, Robert B. Gravani, Donna L. Scott, and Marvin P. Pritts, Food Safety Begins on the Farm Good Agricultural Practices for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables A Growers Guide: Field Sanitation and Animal Exclusion, Cornell University.

4 Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Your Farm: Family Farm Good Agricultural Practices GAPs and Standard Operating Procedures SOPs, Draft May 3, 2009.

5 Trevor Suslow, Key Points of Control and Management of Microbial Food Safety: Information for Growers, Packers, and Handlers of Fresh-Consumed Horticultural Products, UC Davis.

6 AFDO Model Code, Association of Food and Drug Officials.

7 Michele Schermann, FSP4U A Food Safety Plan (Template) for You, University of Minnesota.

8 Food Poisoning: Causes, FoodSafety.gov.

9 Atwill, E.R, Implications of Wildlife in E. coli Outbreaks Associated with Leafy Green Produce, 2008.

10 How to Comply with Accepted LGMA Food Safety Practices, Western Growers Association.

11 James R. Gorny et al., Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens, Accessed August 4, 2010.

12 Penn State University Department of Food Science, USDA Auditor Guidance, Part 2, pg. 12, November 2009.

13 United Fresh Produce Association Food Safety and Technology Council, Microbiological Testing of Fresh Produce.

14 DWR Southern District Water Well Standards, Part II, Section 8 and A Guide For The Private Well Owner, Santa Clara Valley Water District, County of Santa Clara, Department of Environmental Health. Appendix A.

15 USDA, National Organic Program (NOP) Standard,.

16 Western Growers Association, Technical Basis Document for Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Lettuce and Leafy Greens Supply Chain,2nd Edition, Appendix B.

17 Title 40 Protection of Environment CFR Part 503: The Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

18 Code of Federal Regulations 29CFR1928.110, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

19 Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Leafy Greens, FDA, Draft Guidance.

20 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, On-Farm Food Safety: Guide to Food Handling, Accessed January 12th 2011.

21 Earthbound Farm, Standard Operating Procedure 600.

22 Guidance for Industry Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, FDA.

23 Produce Marketnig Association and Western Growers, A Growers Guide: Produce Safety Research: A Practical Examination of the Research Presented at Center for Produce Safety 2010 Research Symposium, pg. 39, 2010.

24 Marilyn Erickson, Faith Critzer, and Michael Doyle, Composting Criteria on Animal Manure, Produce Safety Project: An Initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts at Georgetown University.

25 Allergens,FoodSafety.gov.

Typical Audit Questions

The following are typical food safety audit questions. These are the same questions that will appear in Create a Food Safety Manual. To view a sample food safety plan, click here.

General Requirements

  • Do you have a written food safety policy?
  • Is there a person(s) at your farm who has responsibility and authority for food safety?
  • Are you aware that documentation is required to demonstrate that your food safety plan is being followed?
  • Do you have a written product traceability program in place?
  • Do you have a written recall procedure?
  • Do you have a documented corrective action procedure?
  • Has training in traceback, recall and corrective action procedures been documented for relevant personnel?

Worker Health and Hygiene

  • Are all portable or fixed toilet facilities and hand washing stations kept clean and well supplied?
  • Are your toilet facilities easily accessible to employees?
  • Are your field sanitation units/portable toilets designed, constructed, and located to minimize the risk of product contamination?
  • Are sewage and septic systems maintained to prevent contamination to fields or produce?
  • In the event of a leakage or spill, do you have a plan for immediate control and treatment of contamination from sewage/waste liquids?
  • Are all your employees aware that they need to wash their hands, with the correct technique for hand washing, before starting work, after using the toilet, after each break, before harvesting or engaging in post-harvest activities, after using a handkerchief/tissue and at any other times when their hands might become a source of contamination?
  • Have all your employees been trained in the proper use of toilet facilities?
  • Do you have a written policy covering protective clothing requirements (including hair covering, jewelry and artificial nail restrictions if any)?
  • Do you use gloves at your farm (disposable or re-useable)?
  • Do you have clearly designated areas where employees can take breaks and which are located away from produce fields and handling/packing areas?
  • Are all employees and visitors aware that eating, drinking (other than potable water for field employees), spitting, chewing gum and using tobacco is only allowed in these clearly designated break areas?
  • Are all employees and visitors aware that if they show signs of illness they need to restrict their direct contact with produce or food-contact surfaces?
  • Are all employees aware that they need to restrict their direct contact with produce or food-contact surfaces if they have an open sore or lesion that cannot be effectively covered?
  • Are all employees (and visitors) aware that they need to seek prompt treatment for cuts, abrasions and other injuries?
  • Do you have a policy outlining handling/disposal of food or food contact surfaces that have been in contact with blood or other bodily fluids?
  • Have your worker health and hygiene training and activities above been documented for all your employees?

Previous Land Use and Site Selection

  • Have you performed an initial assessment of the risks associated with previous land use?
  • Did you perform any preventive and/or corrective measures as a result of your land use risk assessment?

Agricultural Water

  • Do you use water for field use (e.g., water used in the growing environment, for example in irrigation, cooling, frost protection or as a carrier for fertilizers and pesticides)?
  • Is your water distribution system constructed so that human or animal waste systems are not cross-connected with agricultural water systems?
  • Have you performed a risk assessment for your distribution system and all water source(s) to determine if they are adequate for their intended use? This assessment must be documented.
  • Do you have an ongoing water management plan to ensure that the water quality at your farm remains adequate for its intended use?
  • Does your water risk assessment, current industry standards and/or prevailing regulations for the commodities being grown require that water testing be performed as part of your ongoing management plan?
  • Have activities associated with your water management plan been documented?

Agricultural Chemicals

  • Do you use agricultural chemicals (e.g., pesticides such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, synthetic fertilizers)?
  • Do you have a procedure for cleaning application equipment and for disposal of waste agricultural chemicals so that production and growing areas are protected against contamination?
  • Are the people that apply chemicals suitably trained?
  • Do you maintain a record of chemical use?

Animals and Pest Control

  • Do you perform a risk assessment for animal activity (domestic and wild) in and around your growing area(s)?
  • Do you routinely monitor animal activity in and around the growing area during the growing season?
  • Do you have buildings associated with production of produce at your farm (e.g., packinghouse, storage, cooling areas, etc.)?

Soil Amendments and Manure

  • Do you use soil amendments at your operation (soil amendments include raw, partially treated and treated manure, compost, compost teas, fertilizers, biosolids etc.)?
  • Do you use soil amendments which do not contain raw or partially treated manure?
  • Do you use treated compost (plant and/or animal based) or compost teas (made from treated compost)?
  • Do you produce any compost yourself or compost tea from your own compost?
  • For animal based soil amendments which do not contain raw or partially treated manure, do you keep records of composition, dates of treatment (if applicable), methods used and application dates and rates?
  • Do you use soil amendments that contain raw or incompletely treated manure or biosolids?
  • Do you store your soil amendments so they do not become a source of contamination of produce or the surrounding environment?

Field Harvesting

  • Prior to harvest, do you check the area for any possible sources of contamination (physical, chemical, or biological risks)?
  • Do you have a list of equipment (e.g. vehicles, tools, utensils and other items) which may pose a risk of contamination to produce during normal operation?
  • Do you have scheduled repair, cleaning, sanitizing, storage and handling procedures for food contact surfaces to reduce contamination risks during harvest activities?
  • Do you use water tanks such as those used for dust control (the water from which may contact produce in the field)?
  • Do you use vehicles/production equipment in your fields which may pose a risk of contamination to produce (e.g. vehicles which use fuel, oil, or hydraulic fluids)?
  • Do you have a written policy indicating that foreign objects (glass, plastic, metal or other debris) should be excluded from production equipment wherever possible?
  • Do you have a written policy regarding containers, bins and packaging materials used for harvesting?
  • During harvesting activities do you use water/ice in direct contact with product or food contact surfaces, such as in the field, as the final wash step prior to consumer packaging, or as a cooling aid in a consumer package?
  • Do you have a documented procedure(s) addressing that only sound produce (appropriate for its intended use) is harvested and that produce that has been damaged to an extent that it may be a microbial hazard is not harvested or is culled?
  • Do you have a written policy covering produce handling and storage post-harvest (post-harvest in this case means after harvest but before further processing)??
  • Has training in your policies and procedures for field harvesting been documented for all relevant employees?

Transportation (Field to Packinghouse)

  • Do you use vehicles, carts, trailers, etc. (i.e. shipping units) for transporting produce from the field to packinghouse or customer?
  • Do you have written procedures for produce loading and unloading which outline practices to minimize damage and contamination?
  • Do you have a requirement for tempertaure control during transport to ensure food safety?
  • Has training in your vehicle policy (i.e. assessment of suitability for transporting produce), if applicable, and loading/unloading procedures been documented for all designated employees?

Packinghouse Activities

  • Do you use raw materials in the packinghouse such as packaging, chemicals/sanitizers other raw materials?
  • Do you receive raw product from external sources (e.g. not affiliated with your farm) for processing in your packinghouse?
  • Do you have a storage area for non-product and packaging materials which minimizes risk of contamination?
  • Do you have a written policy regarding storage, inspection, handling and proper use of food contact containers and bins for packinghouse activities?
  • Does your packinghouse design help minimize contamination risks (e.g., ease of cleaning)?
  • Do you have toilet facilities within your packinghouse?
  • Do you use equipment lubricants in the packinghouse?
  • Do you have a Preventative Maintenance and/or Master Cleaning Schedule with associated procedures for your packinghouse building?
  • Are equipment and tools used for cleaning kept clean, in good working condition and stored properly away from product handling areas?
  • Are all food-contact equipment, tools and utensils used in the packinghouse designed and made of materials that can be easily cleaned and maintained?
  • Do you use water/ice in contact with product or food contact surfaces in packinghouse activities?
  • Do you have a description of the water distribution system for packinghouse use?
  • Do you wash your produce?
  • Do you use antimicrobial chemicals in your wash water?
  • Do you use instruments to measure temperature, pH, antimicrobial levels and/or use other important devices used to monitor variables that impact food safety?
  • Is microbial testing by an external lab performed on your product(s) or water?
  • Do you cool your produce to ensure food safety (e.g. hydrocoolers, air coolers, chilled storage areas)?
  • Do you use packaging materials for finished products?
  • Does your packinghouse facility process produce that may contain allergens?
  • Has training in your policies and procedures for packinghouse activities been documented for all applicable employees?

Final Product Transport

  • Do you have a written policy to verify cleanliness and suitability of vehicle cargo bays/shipping units used to transport produce from the packinghouse to customers?
  • Do you have written procedures for produce loading and unloading which outline practices to minimize damage and contamination?
  • Do you have transport temperature ranges documented for applicable commodities, and is this information accessible to those transporting the product(s)?
  • Has training in your vehicle policy (i.e. assessment of suitability for transporting produce), loading/unloading procedures and refrigerated transport policies/requirements (as applicable) been documented for all relevant employees?

Press

Welcome to the On-Farm Food Safety Press Room where you can find press releases and other media coverage. For additional information, please email us.

Press Releases

In the News

About FamilyFarmed

FamilyFarmed’s mission is to expand the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food, in order to enhance the social, economic and environmental health of our communities. FamilyFarmed works directly with family farmers as well as with local and national organizations that serve farmers and are working to build local food systems. We also work through our website, annual Good Food Festival and Conference, and Chicagoland CSA Guide to educate the public about eating locally grown food, supporting farm families, and becoming members of local CSA programs.

Our Market Development work is extensive. We believe that developing wholesale markets for family farmers is key to building local food systems as more than 99% of agricultural products consumed in America are purchased through wholesale channels. FamilyFarmed works to build demand and supply and helps to create infrastructure that supports the growth of the system. FamilyFarmed.org works with many leading buyers of local food including Whole Foods Market, Chipotle, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Sysco, Compass Group, Goodness Greeness, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality (Chicago Public Schools), Irv & Shelley’s Fresh Picks, Testa Produce, and others to connect them with local food sources.

FamilyFarmed also provides technical assistance and training for farmers. We published Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Selling, Postharvest Handling and Packing Produce. The 312-page manual is the definitive training source for selling into wholesale markets.  It includes comprehensive sections on issues such as Building Relationships with Buyers, On-Farm Food Safety and Calculating Return in Investment. It also includes over 100 crop profiles that give specific harvesting, cooling, storage, and packing information on most of the fruits and vegetables grown in the United States. It is the basis for our Wholesale Success farmer training workshops that are conducted across the US. We also do “Meet the Buyer” events in select markets to link local producers face to face with wholesale buyers.

From our Market Development work we realized that it was important to trade buyers that farmers have a written on-farm food safety plan in place. And, more and more buyers were requiring food safety certification in order to do business. At the same time, small to mid-scale growers were confused about what it would take to become certified and what the advantages could be for their operation if they were certified. In 2009, we began conducting grower workshops on Wholesale Success and On-Farm Food Safety. Throughout the workshops, we heard loud and clear that farmers needed help in writing their on-farm food safety plan, the basis for any food safety program.

We then engaged an unprecedented national coalition of stakeholders to guide our creation of this website. We hope that through this website, farmers can begin to document the good work they are already doing on their farm, learn about and implement additional procedures to help minimize risk on their farm, and formalize an on-farm food safety program for their operations as a best practice in farming. Should farmers elect to pursue food safety certification, their food safety plan and program will serve as the basis for an audit. This website is the culmination of stage one of our project.

Over the next year, we will work with stakeholders to cement a long-term vision and implementation strategy to ensure that across the nation, small to mid-sized growers utilize this tool to create a comprehensive food safety program for their farm. As part of this process, we will explore ways to work with county Extension agents, State Departments of Agriculture, NGOs, and the private sector to build a comprehensive farmer support system for on-farm food safety.

Learn more about our history here.

Learn more about our team members here.

Learn about our publication, Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Selling, Postharvest Handling and Packing Produce, here.