Food Safety Standards for the U. S. Fresh Produce Industry

A number of microbial contamination incidents led to questions regarding the safety of the U.S. food supply and the need for improved food safety control initiatives and standards by both the private and public sectors (Palma et al., 2009).Of particular concern to this paper are microbial contamination incidents in fresh produce such as the 2006 Escherichia coli (E.coli) O157:H7 associated with the consumption of bagged spinach; the 2008 Salmonella outbreaks associated with cantaloupes imported from Honduras, and the 2008 Mexican Jalapeño and Serrano pepper salsa incident, which was initially attributed to tomatoes.These recent outbreaks are not unique.According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 76 million people are affected and 5,000 die as a result of food-borne illness outbreaks every year.The most common food-borne illnesses are Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Salmonella, and E. coli.Over the past 12 years, all of the 22 reported leafy green associated E. coli O157:H7 incidents indicated a California source.Since the mid-1990s, outbreaks in produce also occurred that were linked to raspberries, green onions, and strawberries.As a reaction to these incidents, there have been increased efforts to enhance food safety by the government and industry groups.In addition to the long-standing zero tolerance for pathogens, there is increased surveillance and third-party testing for conditions leading to microbial contamination.Increasingly, process standards are being specified that recommend or prescribe Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards for production, Good Handling Practices (GHP) standards for handling products, and Good Management Practices (GMP) for responsibilities in overseeing production and handling operations.These standards are designed to reduce the potential for contamination.They increasingly resemble the detailed Pathogen Reduction Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (PR/