Posts from the "Research & Development" category
FPSC A&NZ monthly newsletter out now!
The December 2020 edition of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand newsletter has just been released!
Click here to view the latest newsletter.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Fresh Produce Safety community by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Read Article →FPSC A&NZ monthly newsletter out now!
The November 2020 edition of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand newsletter has just been released!
Click here to view the latest newsletter.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Fresh Produce Safety community by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Read Article →FPSC A&NZ monthly newsletter out now!
The October 2020 edition of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand newsletter has just been released!
Click here to view the latest newsletter.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Fresh Produce Safety community by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Read Article →FPSC A&NZ monthly newsletter out now!
The September 2020 edition of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand newsletter has just been released!
Click here to view the latest newsletter.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Fresh Produce Safety community by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Read Article →FPSC A&NZ monthly newsletter out now!
The August 2020 edition of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand newsletter has just been released!
Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Fresh Produce Safety community by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Read Article →Key learnings from the CPS 2020 Research Symposium
The Center for Produce Safety in the US has prepared key learnings summaries of its Annual Research Symposium, with five sessions held over June and July 2020.
The full set of Key Learnings from the CPS Research Symposium is here. The following text is drawn from the CPS Key Learnings:
During Session 1 held on June 23, 2020, the Symposium explored the use of computer-based modelling to help address two burning issues for the produce industry: understanding potential Listeria growth and persistence in whole produce commodities and the development of sampling strategies to support the validity of assumptions surrounding microbial testing needs and design of acceptable protocols (Key Learnings Session I).
In Session 2, the Symposium expanded the knowledge base on Listeria monocytogenes and its persistence and growth on specific commodities and fresh-cut products and examined novel methods to control Listeria growth on food contact surfaces (Key Learnings Session II).
In Session 3, the Research Symposium explored projects that took wholistic, systems approaches to solving challenges with pest intrusion into leafy greens fields, pathogen transference on co-managed farms and the impact of traits associated with concepts of soil health on pathogen persistence. It also examined Cyclospora presence in the irrigation canal systems in the Yuma, AZ production region (Key Learnings Session III).
Session 4 featured the use of genomics and metagenomics to address challenges in identifying new or revisited indicators and index testing-targets of human viral pathogens that may ultimately be used in the produce industry, the distribution and relatedness of Listeria species in the U.S., and the use of that information to better understand source-risk related to facilities and product, identification of competitors of Listeria monocytogenes that might control that organism in composts, and build our knowledge base of bacterial pathogen persistence and rates of genetic diversification in the Yuma and Salinas vegetable production regions (Key Learnings Session IV).
Session 5 featured research describing the “die-off” rates of human pathogens in agricultural water from three locations around the world, the persistence of pathogens in shade-house production environments, pathogen persistence in wash water systems and the potential roleof damaged cells to contaminate washed products, the efficacy of irrigation water sanitation and the potential role of sediments in canal systems as reservoirs of human pathogens (Key Learnings Session V).
Read Article →AU: New traceability program to build trust in Australia’s food supply chains
Deakin University: Australia’s food safety systems will be strengthened by the delivery of a new national implementation program to help track and trace food products from farm to fork in domestic and export markets.
The industry-led program, co-designed by Deakin University’s Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics (CSCL), includes an Australian-first Implementing Food Traceability Guide, plus product specific guides and industry demonstrations that will enable greater visibility along the entire food supply chain. More here.
Read Article →AU: $4M for agricultural traceability grants
Sixteen projects will share $4 million in funding under round 1 of the Traceability Grants Program.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the projects are sharing in the funding under the first round of the Australian Government’s $7 million Traceability Grants Program.
One of the projects involves the trial of technology to trace fresh produce through export supply chains, with the melon industry used as a pilot.
Read the Minister’s media release here, and more about the Traceability Grants Program here.
Read Article →AU: New paper on environmental drivers for pathogenic persistence
A paper has been published on “​Environmental Drivers for Persistence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Manure-Amended Soils: A Meta-Analysis” by Dao Tran and colleagues at the ARC Training Centre for Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry.
The paper, which appeared in the Journal of Food Protection in July, examines 42 primary research studies on pathogen persistence from manure-amended soils, and concludes that “Based on the significant variation observed among individual field studies, it is unlikely the risks associated with the use of manure amendments containing high levels of enteric bacterial pathogens (such as in raw manure) in soils may be solely managed by a uniform exclusion period. Management of the risks associated with the use of soils amended with raw manures is best achieved through risk-based approaches incorporating differences in climate, soil management, and initial levels of bacteria during application.”
While it is recommended that only certified composted organic amendments are used in the production of fresh produce, the message is clear: risk-based approaches taking into account local environmental factors must be used by growers for determining appropriate exclusion periods after using untreated manures. More here.
Read Article →FPSC announces iFoodDecisionSciences as a Silver supporter
The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand today announced that iFoodDecisionSciences (iFoodDS) has joined the FPSC as a Silver supporter.
The Chairman of the FPSC, Mr Michael Worthington, said: “It is wonderful to have fresh produce solutions providers such as iFoodDecisionSciences publicly pledging their support the FPSC, and we warmly welcome iFoodDS on board as a Silver supporter.”
“”e are seeing an increase of support over recent times, as the industry steps up its commitment to fresh produce food safety. We are delighted that we can now count iFoodDS as an FPSC Silver supporter. The more companies that join along the supply chain, the more work the FPSC can do to promote safer fresh produce,” Mr Worthington said.
A leading provider of food supply chain safety, traceability and quality solutions for farmers, harvesters, shippers, packers, processors, distributors, retailers and foodservice, iFoodDS’ cloud-based offerings provide advanced analytics and insights for safety, regulatory compliance and process improvements. Find out more about iFoodDecisionSciences here.
iFoodDS’ Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Ilango Surendran said: “We joined the FPSC because we firmly believe that iFoodDS can provide value and knowledge in food safety technology for the produce industry and FPSC supporters. We have seen the importance and evolving change in technology to improve food safety across the supply chain. In particular, we have seen the accelerated growth and adoption of technology with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are delighted to partner with the FPSC.”
iFoodDecisionSciences will be joining the Fresh Produce Safety Centre at the Silver supporter level.
Read Article →