Cantaloupe Food Safety Update
May 23, 2012 
Last year’s Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes was one of the worst in history. The outbreak, traced back to Jensen Farms in Colorado, resulted in 30 deaths. The incident put the U.S. cantaloupe industry on alert and growers and allied associations have been working ever since to get out ahead of future outbreaks.
In May, the FFVA hosted a cantaloupe food safety update at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center to catch growers up on the progress of food safety rules and recap good agricultural practices (GAPs) critical to ensure cantaloupes are handled in the safest way possible. While the majority of growers are employing sound GAPs, one misstep can impact an entire industry.
Dr. Martha Roberts, UF/IFAS, provided a recap of what’s been happening since the Listeria outbreak. She noted that FDA is currently working on a Guidance On Cantaloupes document and the Food Safety Modernization Act. “All of this is coming down from FDA, but the industry came together and said we can’t wait on this from the government,” said Roberts. “So, we’ve been working to develop a good guidance for cantaloupe production and handling.”
Growers interested can learn more about the industry effort at Cantaloupe-Guidance.com. United Fresh, Produce Marketing Association, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, and Western Growers have been spearheading the drive to develop new GAPs in advance of FDA rules.
Roberts said the No. 1 message coming from FDA so far regarding cantaloupe handling and food safety is keep your cantaloupes dry.
Perfect Storm
Speakers at the update meeting describe the set of conditions at Jensen Farms that led to the outbreak as a “perfect storm.” Michelle Danyluk, UF/IFAS, gave a presentation on the Colorado outbreak and lessons learned from the tragedy.
She said the lessons from the outbreak were three-fold: 1) Growers need to worry about Listeria. 2) Sanitary design and sanitation are critical. 3) Changes in production and packaging practices may alter food safety risks.
While Listeria is not hard to find in the environment, Danyluk says growers should pay very close attention to any condition that would allow Listeria to grow and proliferate on the farm or packing facility. She said the sanitary design and sanitary practices of Jensen Farms allowed Listeria to grow.
The truck used to carry culls to cattle pastures had manure on the tires and was parked near the packing line. In addition, the concrete floor of the packinghouse was designed in a way that allowed water to pool on the floors. The packing equipment also was very difficult to clean.
When FDA inspected the farm, they took 39 environmental swabs, of which 13 tested positive for Listeria. Twelve of the 13 positive swabs came directly off the packing line. Danyluk says that was clearly the smoking gun the FDA was looking for.
Finally, she suggested changing production practices might have helped Listeria proliferate on the fruit. Last season, Jensen Farms ceased pre-cooling on the farm. This meant there was more condensation on the fruit when it went into the coolers, which is an environment where Listeria can grow.
GAPs To Go By
Keith Schneider, UF/IFAS, presented ways growers can help ensure the safety of their produce. With millions of foodborne illnesses and 3,000 deaths annually, GAPs are critical. “If one person messes up, it will impact the entire industry and FDA takes 3,000 deaths very seriously,” he said.
While many GAPs are common sense, Schneider reinforced the importance of not skimping on any area because one chink in the armor can lead to an outbreak. He outlined nine areas where growers should focus their food safety practices on the farm and in the packinghouse.
1. Water: Water must be of good quality to not contaminate food. Water can be the singularly most important amplifying factor of a sanitation error. A small problem during harvest and postharvest can become a very large problem when spread in water. Use potable water for all produce washing, cooling, ice, and processing. When potable water is not available, water should be tested to ensure it is not contaminated.
2. Fertilizer: Make sure biosolids and/or manure is properly composted. These particular items can be used in Florida, except on tomatoes. “If you don’t properly treat or compost them, you are spreading fecal matter,” said Schneider.
3. Worker Health and Hygiene: Workers must wash their hands. Growers should be familiar with symptoms of infectious disease to ensure produce is not exposed to sick workers. Offer workers protection for cuts and lesions on parts of the body that make contact with fresh produce.
4. Harvest Sanitation: Clean and sanitize harvest bins daily. Use only hard impervious bins and avoid workers standing in the bins.
5. Exclude Animals: Recognizing it is impossible to keep birds and some other wildlife out of fields, growers should be aware of animals, especially livestock that are near fields. Keep dogs and other pets out of the fields. “FDA knows you can’t control birds, but they do look at domestic animals like cows and pets,” said Schneider.
6. Keep Packing Facilities Clean: Properly sort and cull fruit because damaged fruit can really grow pathogens. There should be detectable amounts of chlorine in wash waters. Mandate that workers follow sound sanitary practices and regularly sanitize equipment and the facility. Try to keep birds and rodents out of the facility. If these pests find their way into the facility, thoroughly clean any droppings they leave behind.
7. Transportation: Make sure trucks and other transportation equipment are clean. Avoid leaving harvested crops in the sun and maintain proper temperatures throughout the transportation process. Minimize damage to fruit when loading into vehicles.
8. GAPs and Traceback: Schneider noted that eventually someone will get sick from a foodborne illness. He said that the only defense to contain the outbreak is the ability to quickly trace the source of the outbreak.
9. Documentation: “If you didn’t write it down, you didn’t do it,” says Schneider. “Most of you are doing these GAPs already, but you need to keep thorough and proper records. Those records will protect you if something goes wrong.”
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