Food Safety — Page 39 — Plant & Pest Advisory

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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February 26, 2018 Rick VanVranken

US Food & Drug Administration Announces Microbiological Surveillance Sampling for Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Basil & Parsley) to Continue Through 2018

The US FDA has announced an ongoing surveillance program started in October 2017 will continue through 2018 until they collect at least 1600 samples each of fresh cilantro, parsley and basil. FDA inspectors will be visiting farm packinghouses, wholesale packers, domestic and import warehouses and shippers, as well as retail purveyors, From their press release,

From 1996 to 2015, the FDA reported nine [food born illness] outbreaks linked to basil, parsley, and cilantro, which resulted in 2,699 illnesses and 84 hospitalizations. Four of the outbreaks were linked to basil, three to cilantro, and two to parsley.

February 23, 2018 Meredith Melendez

New Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Website!

Visit the new Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website for information on Good Agricultural Practices, the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, and USDA Third Party Audits. Information can also be found on upcoming on-farm food safety workshops, publications and resources to help you understand and implement on-farm food safety practices.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety

January 26, 2018 Rick VanVranken

2018 NJ State Ag Convention Educational Programs Now Online

The 2018 NJ State Ag Convention and Trade Show will be open February 6-8 at the Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Convention Center in Atlantic City. The final version of the educational program developed by Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension faculty and staff in conjunction with the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ and the NJ Dept of Ag has now been posted at njveggies.org/convention. In addition to the agenda of educational sessions and workshops, you will find links to membership/registration and meal reservation information. As in the past, Tuesday and Wednesday programs are chocked full of concurrent sessions mornings and afternoons, followed by a day of more intensive workshops on Thursday. Please pay special attention to that day’s Food Safety and Fumigation Certification workshops that require separate pre-registration. Instructions are detailed in each of those workshop agendas.

A special added feature of this year’s convention will be a produce buyers discussion panel moderated by NJDA Division of Markets Director Tom Beaver in the Trade Show area at 5pm on Tuesday afternoon.

If you will be attending as a delegate to the policy sessions of the State Board of Agriculture, a separate program and registration materials are available from the NJ Department of Agriculture’s website.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops

December 19, 2017 Meredith Melendez

Worker Health and Hygiene Translated into Spanish, Creole, Khmer, Chinese, Korean

The Rutgers fact sheet focusing on Worker Health and Hygiene is now available in multiple languages appropriate for farm workers. These fact sheets can be used to educate farm workers on the basic principles of human health and hygiene to prevent human pathogen contamination of fresh produce. Visit the Rutgers NJAES publications webpage to access these versions.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety

November 14, 2017 Meredith Melendez

Workshops to Meet Your Food Safety Training Requirements

Do you need the FSMA Produce Safety Rule training? Third Party Audit training? Choose one or both days of our upcoming workshops. Remember, the FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not require training each year for compliance, but your third party auditor may require it! Register online at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or call Tammy Commander at (856) 451-2800, ext. 1 or email commander@njaes.rutgers.edu

2017/2018 Farm Food Safety Certificate Trainings
Registration required!

2017
November 29 and 30
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.

December 13 and 14
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.

2018
February 8th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training ,NJ Agricultural Convention & Trade Show, 777 Harrahs Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401. $35.00 per person, register online or at the door. 9am-4pm. Lunch not included

February 20 and 21
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 930 Spruce Street, Trenton, NJ 08648. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.

February 28 and March 1
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332 . $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am- 4pm. Lunch included.

March 14th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training for Blueberry Growers, Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, 125a Lake Oswego, Chatsworth, NJ 08019. $50.00 per person, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.

Register online at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or call Tammy Commander at (856) 451-2800, ext. 1 or email commander@njaes.rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety

October 16, 2017 Meredith Melendez