Fall is here so is harvest season! For our fresh produce that is harvested and packed by hand, food safety practices play a major role in protecting consumers. Some growers may be subject to the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, while other growers may receive food safety requirements from buyers. Regardless of regulatory or market pressure, food safety is critical to every fresh produce grower (regardless of size, location, or commodities grown), because the produce they market is often consumed raw with no additional processing. It’s important for agricultural workers to know and understand food safety risks, because they are present during harvest and their health and hygiene practices directly affect produce safety.
General Recommendations for Worker Health & Hygiene
Educate your workers with training!
Make sure workers understand the principles of food hygiene and food safety. This includes when and how to properly wash their hands. It is important for them to maintain personal cleanliness and to be able to recognize the symptoms of foodborne illness, as well as the importance of not coming to work when sick. Workers that are harvesting produce should never harvest fresh market produce with visible feces, or produce that has dropped to the ground before harvest. When training your workers, it is important to use a language workers can understand.