Information and resources on food safety practices and research for all stakeholders in the fresh produce industry.
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August 2015

US: Downy mildew raises E. coli probability in lettuce

Fresh Fruit Portal: Scientists from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agency have found the presence of a common lettuce disease increases the chances of E. coli bacteria infecting the plant. In a release, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) highlighted downy mildew, caused by fungus-like water mold Bremia lactucae, was one of the biggest problems lettuce growers had to face.
[Full story]

AU/NZ: Fresh Produce Safety Conference – 12 August 2015

Fresh Produce Safety Centre: Titled Advancing research and outreach for safe, fresh food, the conference will address such issues as viruses in fresh berries and leafy greens; and three in-depth case studies from around Australia and New Zealand.

International speaker, Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli  from the Center for Produce Safety in the US, will tackle current challenges for US food safety research, and how these relate to the Australasian situation.

Extension Specialist, Dr Laura Strawn, from Virginia Tech, will deliver the keynote address on the role of technology in future food safety, providing a clear foundational base for big data – and touching on some neat technologies currently being employed or investigated for food safety application.
[Conference website]

EU: Foodborne diseases associated with frozen berries consumption: A historical perspective, European Union 1983 to 2013

Eurosurveillance: Epidemiological investigations of outbreaks of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus (NoV) infections in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in the last five years have highlighted frozen berries as a vehicle of infection. Given the increasing berry consumption in the EU over the last decades, we undertook a review of the existing evidence […]
[Full story]

NZ: Growing career worth considering

Photo: Rob Ireton / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Sunmedia: Young people planning their careers would be wise to consider the horticultural industry. That was the message from Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy at the Horticulture New Zealand conference in Rotorua this week. According to the Otaki MP, the industry is gearing up to employ an extra 26,300 trained workers, many with tertiary qualifications, and skilled labour will be required from production to processing and marketing. “Special skills will be required in areas like food safety, biosecurity, environmental management, and plant science,” says Nathan. “Full time job opportunities within horticulture are as diverse as hand-on orchard or market garden work through to scientific research and development to marketing, to management at all levels.
[Full story]

AU/NZ: New Guidelines to be launched next week

Fresh Produce Safety Centre: The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand is pleased to launch the newly updated and expanded Guidelines for fresh produce food safety at an event at the University of Sydney on 11 August 2015.

Following extensive consultation with industry, researchers and academics, the new guidelines have significantly added to the information in the 2004 guidelines.
[Guidelines Website]

AU: Salmonella – find out more

Food Safety Information Council: There have been a number of salmonella outbreaks, including a recent one in Melbourne. A study by the [Australian National University] ANU has found Salmonella cases have increased by 24% in Australia over the last 10 years. Salmonella food poisoning (salmonellosis) is usually linked to consuming inadequately cooked meats or poultry, other foods contaminated by raw meats and poultry, as well as foods containing raw or undercooked eggs, unpasteurised dairy products such as raw milk or cheeses. But many other foods have been linked to outbreaks caused by Salmonella including mayonnaise (with raw eggs), fruits and vegetables, salads, milk, unpasteurised fruit juices, nuts, seeds and sprouted seeds.
[Full story]

US: Research shines light on organic fruit, food safety

Photo: The AutoMotovated Cyclist / Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Washington State University News: Scientists at Washington State University have shown that ultraviolet C (UVC) light is effective against foodborne pathogens on the surface of certain fruits. The study was published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology. The findings are expected to be welcome news for organic fruit processors who seek alternatives to chemical sanitizers and must also comply with the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act to help prevent food borne illnesses.
[Full story]

US: Seasons, regions possibly linked to E. coli outbreaks

The Packer: There were more E. coli outbreaks from 2003-2012 than in the preceding 20 years, with fresh produce causing about 10% of them, but government researchers say the overall increase is likely a reflection of better testing and reporting. Of the 390 E. coli outbreaks, 255 were caused by food, with laboratory tests linking 170 of those outbreaks to specific foods, according to a report scheduled to be published in August by epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[Full story]

NZ: New Zealand, Vietnam step up food safety cooperation

Voice of Vietnam: Vietnam and New Zealand will spur food safety cooperation, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat at a recent meeting with New Zealand's Minister for Food Safety and Associate Minister for Primary Industries Jo Goodhew in Hanoi.
[Full story]

EU: Relevance of microbial finished product testing in food safety management

Photo: Lee McCoy / Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0
Journal of Food ControlThe relevance of finished product testing is described for three case studies (canned food, chocolate and cooked ham). Finished product testing is often not very effective for controlling food safety. Food safety management systems and preventive approaches are more effective and can reduce finished product testing. Finished product testing may be used for process and product verification.
[Full story]

UK: Food fraudsters targeting oregano a ‘major problem’

Food Manufacture: Food fraudsters are substituting dried oregano with other herbs, such as olive and myrtle leaves, reflecting a “major problem” in the herb and spices sector, according to Professor Chris Elliott.
[Full story]

US: Latest LGMA annual report shows lowest citations on record

Photo: Rebecca Partington / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
LMGA: The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement just released its 2014/15 Annual Report detailing results of the mandatory government audits conducted during this past fiscal year. The findings show that out of nearly 75,000 food safety checkpoints audited, a total of 370 citations were issued. This is the lowest number of citations issued in the history of the LGMA and represents less than half a percent of the total checkpoints verified during all LGMA audits.
[Full story]
Visit the Fresh Produce Safety Centre website
More about the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand
More about the University of Sydney Faculty of Agriculture & Environment
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The FPSC was established by the PMA A-NZ and the University of Sydney, with support from Horticulture Innovation Australia and a range of founding supporters and partners. We thank those industry organisations who support the FPSC. Please visit our supporters page.