New resources help growers produce safe vegetable crops
Consumers expect vegetables to be safe and not contaminated with bacteria that could make them sick.
The challenge is that the environment in which our vegetable crops are grown, and the organic supplements used to maintain healthy soils, can naturally contain pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria.
The vegetable industry needs research-based guidelines on how to produce and supply crops safely. Which organic supplements can be used, and how should potential risks be managed to ensure produce is safe to eat?
Hort Innovation, together with the vegetable industry, recently completed a study on the survival of human pathogens in soil and irrigation water, and on leafy vegetables. The project was led by the Fresh Produce Safety Centre, in conjunction with Applied Horticultural Research, Freshcare and the University of Sydney.
The project sought to answer two key questions:
1. If manures are added to soil, how long does it take for any human pathogens to die off to environmental levels?
2. What happens when water contaminated with human pathogens is used to irrigate leafy vegetables?
Fact sheets and guidelines (click on the links to download) *
The project produced two fact sheets that summarise the findings, and are aimed at informing vegetable producers. They explain how to manage risks from compost and from irrigation water:
Also available are detailed guidelines aimed at informing supply chain managers and regulators on how to manage risks from compost and from irrigation water.
Guidelines - Using manures to grow vegetables - a guide to reducing risk
Guidelines - Reducing food safety risks from pre-harvest water
* Hort Innovation (HI), Applied Horticultural Research Pty Ltd (AHR), Fresh Produce Safety Centre (FPSC), Freshcare (FC) and the University of Sydney (USyd) make no representations and expressly disclaims all warranties (to the extent permitted by law) about the accuracy, completeness, or currency of information in this fact sheet. Users of this material should take independent action before relying on its accuracy in any way. Reliance on any information provided by HI, AHR, FPSC, FC or USyd is entirely at your own risk. HI, AHR, FPSC, FC and USyd are not responsible for, and will not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, expense, cost (including legal costs) or other liability arising in any way (including from HI, AHR, FPSC, FC or USyd or any other person’s negligence or otherwise) from your use or non-use of information from project VG16042 Pathogen Persistence from Paddock to Plate or from reliance on information contained in this material or that HI, AHR, FPSC, FC or USyd provides to you by any other means.