Fresh Produce Safety Centre Newsletter
December 2014
In this newsletter:
Do you have a suggestion or want more information? Contact us at info@freshproducesafety-anz.com. We would appreciate your feedback.
Please let your QA and compliance staff plus external advisors know about our newsletter. They can subscribe too!
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Shout out for new FPSC supporters in 2015!
Does your organisation want to showcase its commitment to fresh produce safety in 2015? Now is the time to pledge your financial support for the ongoing operation of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre. These industry organisations have pledged support to the Fresh Produce Safety Centre:
 All financial supporters are prominently recognised on the Centre’s website, in newsletters, at forums and in general communications. Supporter packages range from AU$1,000 to AU$25,000 per annum. Download the Pledge Your Support form here or contact the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Executive Director Emma Walters at info@freshproducesafety-anz.com or +61 419 204 454.
Pledge your support to the FPSC today.
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Establishment of the FPSC has been funded by a Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited project using voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian Government.
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The HACCP Mentor Reveals the Top 10 Food Safety Audit Non-Conformances, writes Richard Bennett
New blog post at the FPSC website
"Amanda Evans is the HACCP Mentor. After 20 years working in food safety compliance, as a trainer, auditor, author and food business consultant, she’s as qualified as anyone and better qualified than most to speak on food safety audit non-conformance. And that’s what she did well at the 21st Australian HACCP Conference in August where she presented on the top 10 non-conformances raised during HACCP, SQF, BRC and WQA audits..."
Read the full post and other recent blog posts at the FPSC website
Other recent blog posts:
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What's new on our website
NZ: Investigation into the source of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
The Ministry for Primary Industries investigation into the source of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis outbreak in September has been completed. It did not find source of the pathogen. This is not unusual in Yersinia outbreaks from around the world, where very few are pinned down to a definitive source.
[Full story]
NZ: Fighting food fraud with forensics
Good Fruit Grower: A technique used by forensic scientists to identify bodies at crime scenes is being used by food producers to deter counterfeiting of their products. All plants and animals absorb the natural chemicals of their environment, and similar technology can provide irrefutable forensic evidence of where an apple was grown. This evidence can be used to […]
[Full story]
NZ: New funding for apple pest research
Radio New Zealand News: The pipfruit industry has received new government funding for pest and disease research to improve access for New Zealand apple exports to Asian markets. Pipfruit New Zealand’s chief executive Alan Pollard said that integrated pest management approach had been successfully used for fruit going to the main export markets in Europe. "We’re looking at more […]
[Full story]
AU: Microbial Food Safety Assurance
Food Australia magazine: The 2014 Keith Farrer Award of Merit was awarded at this year’s AIFST Convention to Dr Tom Ross for his outstanding contribution to food science. This article is based on his address. Most people know the basic rules of food hygiene, don’t they? They’re simple rules that reflect our awareness that invisible microbes might make […]
[Full story]
SG: HACCP-certified indoor vegetable farm for Singaporean restaurant
Foodprocessing.com.au: “In land-scarce Singapore, only 8% of vegetables consumed are grown on local farms – but this is set to change as Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia Pacific partners with Ootoya Japanese Restaurant for the commercial supply of locally harvested vegetables from its indoor farm. A range of premium Japanese leafy and root vegetables are being […]
[Full story]
US: Effect of Proximity to a Cattle Feedlot on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Contamination of Leafy Greens and Evaluation of the Potential for Airborne Transmission
American Society for Microbiology: “The impact of proximity to a beef cattle feedlot on E. coli O157:H7 contamination of leafy greens was examined. E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from 3.5% of leafy green samples per plot at 60 meters, which was higher (P < 0.05) than the 1.8% of positive samples per plot at 180 […]
[Full story]
US: 10 little known facts about fruit stickers and PLU codes
Geobeats: Following are 10 little known facts about fruit stickers, including how PLU codes are allocated and the safety aspects of the stickers themselves. Even though nearly every piece of fruit in the produce aisle has a little sticker on it, most people probably never give them much thought. […]
[Full story]
US: Chlorine Dioxide Gas Offers Hope for Sprout Sanitation
Food Safety News: Researchers at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that chlorine dioxide gas is more effective at killing Salmonella on bean sprouts than chlorine wash — the industry-preferred decontamination technique. Sprouted seeds have a long, and poor, contamination record. Since 1995, at least 51 outbreaks in the U.S. […]
[Full story]
US: Could Yelp and Twitter Become Tools to Detect Foodborne Outbreaks?
Food Safety News: Social media platforms such as Yelp and Twitter have significantly altered the online landscape for restaurants. Now anyone with an Internet connection and an opinion can broadcast their thoughts to others interested in visiting. But what if public health officials could use Yelp and Twitter to track people mentioning foodborne illnesses online to detect outbreaks […]
[Full story]
US: E. coli victims appeal to workers in LGMA training video
The Packer: Victims of the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach tell their stories in a new food safety training video co-produced by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement and the non-profit group STOP Foodborne Illness. Lauren Bush tells her story in the video, describing how as a 20-year-old college student she contracted an infection from a spinach salad that ultimately sent her to the hospital with hemorrhaging and other severe symptoms.
[Full story]
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Seasons Greetings from the FPSC!
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 Want more food safety blog posts?
Richard Bennett is the Technology Manager at PMA Australia-New Zealand and the FPSC. You can check out his Food Safety, Traceability and Technology blog on the PMA A-NZ website, here.
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