PRODUCE SAFETY AND GAPs RESOURCES

The Center's Produce Safety team has compiled the following list of documents, links, videos and fact sheets to help produce farmers as they develop, implement, and ujpdate their produce safety plans, and as they approach GAPs certification or learn about how FSMA may apply to their farms.

Please don't hesitate to contact Ginger at ginger.nickerson@uvm.edu or 802-505-8189 (cell) or the Center's main number at 802-656-5459 with any questions or if there is specific information you need.

2013 Food Safety & Modernization Act Proposed Rules

The 120-day public comment period is now open to weigh in on the implementation of the law. We've gathered some information here to help you consider how the new rules may impact your farm. These are proposed draft rules and not final regulation. Growers are encouraged to comment on aspects of the rules they object to or do not understand. The 120 day period for public comment ends May 16, 2013. You may submit comments online. Written comments may be faxed to FDA at 301-827-6870 or mailed to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All written submissions received must include the Docket No. (FDA-2011-N-0921). Or else feel free to share your comments with UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture Produce Safety Program Coordinator Ginger Nickerson here at UVM Extension, as she will be compiling comments and sharing them with the FDA as well.

• Factsheet on who will be covered under the rules (Decision Tree)
• Proposed Rules for Farms Covered by FSMA
• FSMA Preventative Controls Fact Sheet
• FDA's official FSMA page

Practical Produce Safety Resources

• Recorded webinar: Practical Food Safety for Produce Growers
• Cedar Circle Farm Safety Manual: An excellent example of an on-farm food safety plan for a diversified farm
• Megan Baxter's presentation on Cedar Circles Food Safety and Efficiency Practices (PowerPoint presentation
• Practical Food Safety Webinar on Blackboard Collaborate
• "How to Wash Hands" Poster
• "When to Wash Hands" Poster
• "Why Triple Rinse?" Poster
• Water Quality Testing Guidelines
• 2012 Washwater Study Summary
• Assessing the History of Your Farm for Your Food Safety Plan
• Using Manure and Compost with Food Safety in Mind
• Planning for Irrigation with Food Safety In Mind
• Assuring Crop Quality in the Field with Food Safety in Mind
• Safely Harvesting Produce
• Farm Worker Health, Safety & First Aid
• Hygiene Practices for Farm Workers
• Questions Growers Frequently Ask
• Managing Risks to Reduce or Avoid Legal Liability

Getting Started on GAPs

• Basic information on VT GAPs and GHP Audit Program (read this first)
• GAPs Plan of Action Template There are several possible ways to format your farm food safety plan. One way is to write it as a manual as Cedar Circle did - organizing it in the way that makes the most sense to you and to your employees. Another way to organize it is to use this template which we have formatted to mirror the Auditor's checklist. While there is redundancy in the Plan of Action format, the benefit is that you know that your plan covers all of the items the auditor will be looking for, and it will take less time for the auditor to review your plan. You can always cut and paste sections of this template into your employee manual. Special thanks to Wythe Morris, ANR Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension for developing and letting us use and modify his Plan of Action template.
• USDA GAPs Users Guide
• USDA GAPs Checklist This is what the Auditor will use to score you. (There is an Excel version of the checklist on the USDA website if you want to try to score yourself - just be aware that the auditor may have a different interpretation than yours)
• Contact Steve Parise VAAFM Agricultural Resources Specialist, also at 802-828-2426) to request an Audit and fill out the Audit Request Form. Because of high interest, we advise that you contact Steve as soon as you decide you want to be audited in order to reserve a space in the auditors queue. You can put a general time such as "Mid-August" on the line for Anticipated Date of Audit, and then negotiate the specific date with the Auditor later in the season.
• Vermont Water Quality Criteria
• GAPs Assessments and How to Write Them
• How to write SOPs for GAPs
• Traceability and Recall System
• Preparing for a GAPs Audit (Checklist)
• Visitor and Gleaning Policy
• Task List: Daily, Weekly, As-Needed
• Forms & Logs for Your Use
• Employee Training Form
• Manure application log
• Animal monitoring log
• Mock recall form
• Illness/Injury reporting log
• First Aid kit monitoring log
• Processing & packing line water log
• Bathroom/Sanitation Unit cleaning log
• Visitor Sign-in sheet
• Pest/Rodent Control records
• Harvest Equipment and Transportation cleaning records
• A blank template for you to download and use in our Practical Produce Safety Workshop
• Instructions and Blank Template for Practical Produce Safety Workshop
• Sample On-Farm Produce Safety Plan (from Radical Roots Farm)
• Sample Employee Training Manual

More Produce Safety Web Resources for Farmers

• National GAPs Network for Education and Training
• North Carolina Market Ready Fresh Produce Safety Portal
• Penn State Extension Farm Safety Program has created these flip charts as aids for training workers in the basics of hygiene and sanitation to reduce the risk of microbial contamination
• UVM Extension's Vern Grubinger's excellent list of resources for Food Safety, Handling and Processing Information for Vegetable and Berry Growers
• For information on food safety for value-added products, HACCP, meat, food processors and distributors, and farmer's markets regulations please visit Londa Nwadike's pages with the UVM Extension website.

Costs and Equipment Associated with GAPs and Produce Safety

• Harlow Farm Case Study: The inside story of a Vermont farm going for GAPs certification
• Tool for Estimating Costs Associated with GAPs Certification: You can use this spreadsheet to estimate costs associated with complying with each question on the USDA GAPs Audit Checklist
• Equipment Suppliers: Links to some suppliers of food safety related products

Produce Safety Videos

• Produce Safety and U-Pick Farms (Cedar Circle Farm)
• North Carolina Extension Mock GAPs Audit
• University of Hawaii Produce Safety Coaching and How-To Videos
• University of Minnesota How-To Videos

Resources on Wash Station and Pack Shed Layout and Design

• Outdoor wash station design
• Packing Shed Layout Tip Sheet and Diagram
• Video on Pack Shed & Wash Station Efficiency
• Sanitary Design of Food Processing and Handling Facilities
• Build a Hands-free Washer for Produce
• Design of Room Cooling Facilities

Useful Fact Sheets on Food Safety Practices

• On-Farm Cleaning and Sanitizing Guide
• Controling Rodents In and Around Packing Sheds
• How to make a Tippy-Tap Outdoor Handwashing Station
• Documenting Trace-back and Trace-forward of Harvested Produce

Produce Safety Research and Data

• Pew Health Group Produce Safety Project
• Center for Produce Safety
• Wild Farm Alliance (information on wildlife, conservation practices and pathogens)
• Sampling Methods to Evaluate the Microbial Safety of Fresh Produce
• Centers for Disease Control
• Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
• USDA Microbiological Data Program

Food and Produce Safety Blogs and Listservs

• Food Safety News
• Bites and Barfblog
• North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Blog
• Opening Markets: Exploring and Communicating Food Safety Barriers
• Produce Safety Alliance
• Perishable Pundit

Policy Updates on Food Safety Legislation and Regulations

• Northeastern Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) National Food Safety News
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
• Food and Water Watch
• Wild Farm Alliance