On-Farm Food Safety Section

Keep up with the latest news on this dynamic topic that impacts growers on multiple levels. Developing a farm food safety plan is a good idea for all growers, and may be required as part of food safety audits if you sell to certain buyers.

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August 18, 2023

FSMA PSR Qualified Exempt? Keep Up with Your Paperwork!

If your farm is considered qualified exempt from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule you have probably needed to provide paperwork to the NJDA at least once.  Farms should be reviewing and updating their documentation that proves qualified exemption status annually and be prepared to show this again to the NJDA when required. Guidance and template forms are available online. Need a refresher on what a qualified exemption is? See below!

Under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, farms are eligible for a qualified exemption and associated modified requirements if they meet certain criteria:

The farm’s food sales averaged less than $610,182 (adjusted for inflation) per year during 2020-2022; and
The average value of the farm’s sales to qualified end-users exceeded the average value of the farm’s sales to all others during the previous three years. A qualified end-user is either (a) the consumer of the food or (b) a restaurant or retail food establishment that is located in the same state or the same Indian reservation as the farm or not more than 275 miles away.
Because of COVID-19, state and local governments across the United States had instituted public health orders that resulted in many restaurants and retail food establishments either closing or significantly limiting their operations, leaving many farmers without their usual buyers during the 2020-2022 period. The guidance intends to allow affected farmers to shift their sales away from qualified end-users while still being considered eligible for the qualified exemption. Specifically, under the temporary policy announced in the guidance, farms that are currently eligible for the qualified exemption and associated modified requirements will still be considered eligible, even if they shift sales away from qualified end-users, so long as they continue to meet the requirement that their average food sales during the previous three years total less than $610,182 (adjusted for inflation). This temporary policy is intended to remain in effect only for the duration of the public health emergency, after which the FDA intends to issue additional guidance.

Qualified exempt farms must comply with modified requirements under the Produce Safety Rule, which include establishing and keeping certain records and prominently displaying their name and business address on food packaging or at the point of sale. Farms are responsible for ensuring that the food they produce is not adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and they should use good agricultural practices to ensure the safety of their produce.

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
August 14, 2023

Canadian Government Sets New Rules For Importing Romaine Lettuce From US This Fall

As reported in The Produce Reporter by Blue Book Services on August 1, 2023, the Canadian government has released new temporary licensing rules for importers of US romaine lettuce beginning September 28 and running through December 20, 2023.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CA FIA) summarized these new requirements in their statement outlining the rules:

“To decrease the risk associated with E. coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing temporary Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) license conditions for the importation of romaine lettuce originating from the U.S. Between September 28 and December 20, 2023, importers of romaine lettuce and/or salad mixes containing romaine lettuce from the U.S. must:

    • declare that the product does not originate from counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey in the Salinas Valley, California, U.S., or
    • submit an attestation form and Certificates of Analysis for each shipment to demonstrate that the romaine lettuce does not contain detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7

Shippers sending romaine lettuce from other production regions to Canada during this time should expect to “provide a Proof of Origin indicating the state and county where the romaine lettuce was harvested”. Lack of proof of origin will require significant sampling and testing to assure lack of contamination before it will be allowed to be imported. Full details of this new rule are available on the CA FIA website at https://inspection.canada.ca/importing-food-plants-or-animals/food-imports/food-specific-requirements/romaine-lettuce-from-the-united-states/eng/1601488215302/1601488215678.

 

 

Filed Under: Food Safety, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
August 14, 2023

Produce Safety Planning Workshops for Beginning Farmers

This fall the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team is rolling out two brand new classes as part of our From the Ground Up initiative to support new farmers and all small-medium size farms. Our goal in creating these two complementary programs is to give farmers the power to achieve success in food safety and business.

On Wednesday September 27, 2023, we will be debuting the new class called “From the Ground Up: Produce Safety Planning for Beginning Farmers” held at the Rutgers Specialty Crop Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge, NJ from 10:00am to 2:00pm. We designed this class to allow farmers to set themselves up for success in on-farm produce safety from the beginning, instead of having to go back later to correct infrastructure, systems, or training. A farm that has a well-established food safety culture is better able to meet market demands and consider production changes when planning for the future. Plan for your worker training needs, learn how to identify and reduce risk, and make a portable handwashing station to take home with you. Registration is $30.00 and includes lunch. Everyone who registers will get a voucher to attend our online “Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop” in October 2023 for free.

On Wednesday October 18th 2023, we will be holding our first Online Food Safety Plan Workshop from 6:00pm – 8:00pm Eastern Time via Zoom. The two-hour writing workshop will guide farmers through the step-by-step process of writing the plan best suited for their operation. All attendees will receive a customizable template to work with. A food safety plan can be used to standardize and streamline the training of new employees. This saves time in training and guarantees all members of a farm’s team take the same actions under the same circumstances. Having an on-farm food safety plan can guide farmers’ actions around food safety, forecast risk, serve as a worker training tool, and aid with overall organization.
Registration is $15.00 and free for everyone who attended our September 2023 program in Cream Ridge, NJ.

Follow these links to register and learn more about each class:
“From the Ground Up: Produce Safety Planning for Beginning Farmers”, Wednesday September 27, 2023, Cream Ridge, NJ, 10:00am – 2:00pm Eastern Time
“Online Food Safety Plan Workshop”, via Zoom, Wednesday October 18th 2023, 6:00pm – 8:00pm Eastern Time

Filed Under: Food Safety
July 28, 2023

What do the terms in a feed analysis mean?

We have had a requests for information about heat damaged hay and forage.   Forage put up too wet will overheat and may result in unavailable protein and hay  unsuitable for ruminant digestion.  A definition of the terms in a feed analysis may be useful.  Some of these terms are useful for ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goats) only. 

Dry Matter or DM is the part of the forage that is not water.  Because of a large variation in moisture content of feeds, dry matter maintains a base line when expressing feed values and nutrient requirements of the animal.  Feed analysis is usually presented in both an As-Fed (contains moisture) and a DM basis.  Succulent feeds such as silage or green chop are much higher in moisture, and lower in DM, than are feed grains such as corn or barley.

Protein is represented as Crude Protein or CP and is a measure of the nitrogen content of the feed.  CP is essential for normal growth and body function of all animals, it is essential for meat, milk, eggs, and wool production.  Unfortunately, CP does not distinguish the nitrogen contained as “amino acid nitrogen” or “non-protein nitrogen.”  Most CP measured in feed analyses is made up of “amino acid nitrogen.”  Because of this, there are other measurements which will describe different protein fractions or non-protein nitrogen in feed.  Amino acids are the building blocks that make up proteins in meat, milk, eggs, and wool.  Ruminating animals can convert non-protein nitrogen into amino acids through fermentations that occur in the rumen of cattle, sheep, and goats.

Unavailable Protein is calculated from the nitrogen which is bound to the fiber in the feed.  Normally about 1 percent on a dry matter basis is found in this fraction.  Values greater than 1 percent may indicate heat damage.  Often referred to as heat damaged protein.

Degradable Protein is protein that is broken down in the rumen, mainly into ammonia.  Most rumen microbes need ammonia to produce rumen amino acids, maintain adequate microbial growth, and produce proteins that can be used by a ruminating animal for meat, milk, and wool production.

Undegradable Protein is also referred to as bypass protein.  It is protein fraction that is resistant to rumen microbial degradation and therefore bypasses the rumen.  Most of it can be digested in the small intestine.

Soluble Protein is that protein or non-protein nitrogen fraction which is degraded in the rumen rapidly.  Soluble protein is converted into ammonia in the rumen within a short time after being ingested, it is this ammonia that is made into microbial protein. The remainder of the degradable protein fraction may take hours to be broken down.

High producing ruminants require all these forms of protein in their diets.  This is essential to promote proper functioning of the rumen and to ensure that the maximum amount of digestion occurs in the rumen.

Neutral Detergent Fiber or NDF represents all of the cell wall material containing hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin.  NDF has been identified as being highly related to dry matter intake.  The NDF appearing on feed analyses is probably aNDF, referring to amylase treated NDF.  Amylase is an enzyme used to pre-treat the chemical’s used in NDF analysis.  a-NDF is currently the standard treatment used in NDF analysis.

Acid Detergent Fiber or ADF is the cell wall portion of a feedstuff that includes cellulose and lignin as primary components.  The higher the ADF content, the lower the digestibility of the feed stuff.   The most indigestible fractions of feed are the cellulose and lignin components which are often linked.

Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen or ADIN may be referred to in a feed analysis as ADFCP, ADICP, or heat damaged protein (unavailable protein above).   The residue remaining in the ADF fraction is analyzed for nitrogen.   This value is an estimate of the protein that is unavailable to the animal and can be an estimate of overheating of forage that is put up too wet.  Hay put up too wet can undergo a process called enzymatic browning that occurs in the presence of protein and sugars when forage overheats.  The level of heat damage is determined by analyzing the forage for ADIN (Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen).

Too little fiber can result in improper rumen functioning and off feed and other health problems, such as displaced abomasum and foot problems.  Too much fiber will mean decreased diet digestibility, decreased feed intake and decreased production.  Minimum target levels of ADF and NDF for dairy cows are 21 percent and 28 percent of the total diet, respectively.

Non-Structural Carbohydrates or NSC represent contents of plant cells and contains sugars, starches and pectins.  These are carbohydrates which are rapidly fermented in the rumen and utilized by rumen microorganisms.  It is essential to balance NSC with the different protein fractions to ensure proper microbial growth in the rumen.  If NSC is inadequate, the degradable and soluble protein will not be utilized to the greatest extent possible.

Energy Values are measured as Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) or Net Energy.   Net Energy is expressed as megacalories per pound of dry matter.  There are different NE calculations for maintenance, gain and lactation.  Almost all nutrient requirements used today and in feed testing are expressed as NE.  (Digestible energy is used for horses).  Units of NE are expressed as megacalories or mcal/lb.  These are usually determined by equation based on ADF, NDF, and the protein fractions.

Please see these two previous posts:
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized
July 27, 2023

Testing for heat damaged protein in hay/forage put up too wet

Two regional laboratories that could test for heat damaged proteins are:

Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (CVAS)

DairyOne Laboratory

 

Below is some information and factsheets below that may be useful about hay and forage that is put up too wet.

The upshot is that when hay is put up too wet it can undergo a process called called enzymatic browning that promotes a process called the Maillard reaction.  This occurs in the presence of protein and sugars when forage overheats.  The resulting “Maillard” products will make protein in forage unavailable to the animal and hay may be unsuitable for ruminant digestion.  The only means I know of determining the level of heat damage is by analyzing the forage for ADIN (Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen).  This value can be compared to total protein and the level of damage determined.  I know of no one on campus who does this.  One of the regional forage labs would conduct this routinely.
  • High temperatures in bales (>170°F) can result in reactions between proteins and sugars called the Maillard reaction
  • Hay impacted by Maillard reactions will be sweet/tobacco smelling and brown/caramel colored
  • While highly palatable, the reaction creating this hay ties up protein, making it unusable for animal digestion
  • If significant signs of Maillard reactions are seen in your hay, add a Head Damaged Protein (HDP) test to your forage analysis to get accurate Crude Protein contents for feeding decisions
  • Caramelized hay also has a high likelihood of containing larger than normal amounts of mold growth.  Feeding free choice is a good option to minimize risk when feeding moldy hay
  • Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.
  • Diluting the bad forage with good forage or grain is a possibility
  • Check with an extension agent or other authority before feeding
The following two University of Nebraska factsheets may be helpful.
Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized
July 27, 2023

Heat damaged protein in hay/forage put up too wet.

Below is some information and factsheets below that may be useful about hay and forage that is put up too wet.

The upshot is that when hay is put up too wet it can undergo a process called called enzymatic browning that promotes a process called the Maillard reaction.  This occurs in the presence of protein and sugars when forage overheats.  The resulting “Maillard” products will make protein in forage unavailable to the animal and hay may be unsuitable for ruminant digestion.  The only means I know of determining the level of heat damage is by analyzing the forage for ADIN (Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen).  This value can be compared to total protein and the level of damage determined.  I know of no one on campus who does this.  One of the regional forage labs would conduct this routinely.
  • High temperatures in bales (>170°F) can result in reactions between proteins and sugars called the Maillard reaction
  • Hay impacted by Maillard reactions will be sweet/tobacco smelling and brown/caramel colored
  • While highly palatable, the reaction creating this hay ties up protein, making it unusable for animal digestion
  • If significant signs of Maillard reactions are seen in your hay, add a Head Damaged Protein (HDP) test to your forage analysis to get accurate Crude Protein contents for feeding decisions
  • Caramelized hay also has a high likelihood of containing larger than normal amounts of mold growth.  Feeding free choice is a good option to minimize risk when feeding moldy hay
  • Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.
  • Diluting the bad forage with good forage or grain is a possibility
  • Check with an extension agent or other authority before feeding
The following two University of Nebraska factsheets may be helpful.
Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized