FROM THE DESK OF
The Produce Safety Team

September 26th, 2022

Tips on Shared-Use Equipment in the Wash-Pack

Landen Tetil, Produce Safety Technician

Which came first, the cucumber or the egg? In the case of shared-use equipment, farms face decisions that can make a big impact on the microbial safety of their fresh produce. Often, space and resources are limited, which may lead to a piece of equipment serving multiple uses - such as the same sink being used for washing fresh produce and non-produce products, such as eggs.


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PODCAST EPISODE 

Unintended Food Contact Surfaces

Food contact surfaces are extremely important to keep clean in order to reduce the spread of pathogens. When we think of areas that produce comes into contact with, we typically think of a table or a harvest container, but what are some other surfaces that aren't usually considered? In this episode, Produce Safety Technicians Micah Hutchison and Landen Tetil talk about certain food contact surfaces that may be unintentional and how you can keep these areas clean.


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Risks of Cross Contamination Via Shared Equipment on Mixed-Use Farms

Breanna Hannula, Produce Safety Technician

A farm that raises livestock and grows produce faces challenges that a solely produce operation does not. Animals are a major source of fecal contamination that can present danger to raw produce. When equipment is shared in different areas of the farm, it is important to consider cross contamination. However, it is possible to safely grow produce when livestock are nearby, so long as basic principles of produce safety are followed.


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Organize Your Farm Activities to Reduce Cross-Contamination


Check out this reading list to learn how some well known farmers reduce cross-contamination on their farms. 

Micah Hutchison, Produce Safety Technician

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule lists many required (musts) and suggested (should) practices for growers to follow to reduce the risk of microbial contamination to fresh, covered produce. Currently, there is no book written specifically for growers to reference FSMA best practices. There are many books on growing that contain translatable information to help growers follow best practices that align the with required and suggested practices of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Here are a few items we gleaned from our summer reading!


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Resources to help you achieve your Produce Safety Goals

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training

On-Farm Readiness Review   FREE 

Annual Produce Safety Supervisor Training

Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team
1715 Lansing Ave, Jackson, MI 49202 | MSU Extension MACD Produce Safety Technicians
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