Food Science and Technology Resources
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C 1300-01
Foodborne Illnesses
Foodborne illnesses sicken approximately 48 million Americans a year and result in significant financial losses for the food industry. Outbreaks of foodborne illness have been linked to consumption of small fruit products, but growers and packers can take precautions to reduce food safety risks on their operations. This video discusses what foodborne illnesses are, what causes them, and basic steps that can be taken to ensure the production of safe fruit. This video was produced in collaboration with the Auburn Department of Horticulture.
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Many produce farms choose to exclude domesticated animals to prevent the spread of fecal contamination to produce crops. However, when farms allow members of the general public access to U-pick fields, on-farm restaurants, or roadside markets, the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of individuals who may require the assistance of a service animal. This publication explains what steps a farm must take to ensure an individual requiring a service animal is not excluded from on-farm activities, while also protecting food safety.
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This brief video describes how, when, and where to collect a postharvest water sample intended for generic E. coli testing, as required by the Produce Safety Rule for produce wash water.
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Learn about irrigation scheduling methods for commercial vegetable production in Georgia through this video resource.
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Whether from a local store, regional supplier, or another farmer down the road, understanding where your soil amendments come from and how they were handled prior to reaching your farm or garden is necessary to ensure you are sourcing the highest quality product with the lowest amount of risk.
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“‘Clean label’ foods” generally refers to food products that are simple, natural, and minimally processed. Clean labeling is a food industry movement that caters to the consumer who wants food products to be as “real” and preservative-free as possible. Although “clean labeling” is becoming more ubiquitous among food companies, there is no formal definition for the term. It originates from consumer perception of “natural” foods and is then self-defined by food companies, restaurants, and retailers.
In order to build a trustworthy relationship with consumers, more companies have removed or are planning to remove artificial ingredients from their products. However, this process is not easy, and manufacturers must ensure the efficacy, safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of natural substitutes before using these alternatives widely.
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Produce buyers are increasingly requiring their suppliers to establish environmental monitoring programs in their packinghouses to verify the sanitary conditions of handling facilities and equipment. The first step of a successful monitoring program requires accurate zone designation, whereby surfaces are identified according to their proximity to and likelihood of contaminating a food product. This first publication in the “Packinghouse Environmental Monitoring Programs” series guides food safety managers as they determine how to prioritize food-contact and non-contact surfaces as they develop their monitoring programs.
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