Special Column for La Poz Farm Scene

Darrell Blackwelder

May 20, 2005

            The thought of unsafe food has never a primary concern whenever I eat at home or in my favorite restaurant.  Fruit, vegetables and other produce have always been safe and wholesome; something I’ve always taken for granted.  However, proper precautions in handling are important being the first step in the production cycle. Food safety is just as important to producers as fertilization or weed control. Rowan County fruit and vegetable producers are taking steps from the field to the warehouse to insure consumers they are receiving wholesome produce.

     Americans are becoming more health conscience eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. Statistics show that between 1970 and 1997, the U.S. per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables increased 24 percent that’s an increase from 577 lbs. to 718 lbs. of fresh fruit and vegetables per year. With this increase so is the incidence of food borne illnesses. The number of food borne illness outbreaks per year more than doubled from 1973-1987 and 1988-1998.

Recognizing this trend, vegetable producers and retail chains are implementing a program to combat this problem.  The program grower have implemented is called GAPs or Good Agricultural Practices. This is a national directive whose goal is to reduce microbial risks with educational programs conducted by Cooperative Extension and other cooperating agencies. 

Area fruit and vegetable producers will again this summer participate in the GAPs Food Safety Program. All workers, from those directing traffic, to workers packaging fruit and vegetables will receive this training.

     Cooperative Extension is teaming with the Rowan-Salisbury School system to provide Food Safety information to Hispanic and other workers. Evelyn Matias Brophy, recruiter with the school systems Migrant Education Program, will be assisting with translating educational materials to Hispanic workers. Darrell Blackwelder, Cooperative Extension agent will initiate training in early June.    

    Florescent dyes and a black light are a part of the demonstration used to illustrate the importance of proper hand washing.  This is critical for those directly handling fruits and vegetables. As a part of the demonstration, participants have the opportunity to observe how easily bacteria and fungi can persist even when hands are thought to be clean.

     Good agricultural practices are an important part of any agricultural operation. Those that handle food from the field to the table must realize that proper handling is paramount in food safety.  Rowan County producers as well as producers throughout the United States are meeting this challenge with their constant participation in the GAPs Food Safety Program.