by Joan Murphy
07/24/2006
Before federal officials asked the tomato industry to better educate businesses on food safety, the North American Tomato Trade Work Group had started working on new safety guidelines for the handling of tomatoes in the field, greenhouse, packinghouses and throughout the food supply chain.
Now the group formed to harmonize tomato-handling practices in North America has distributed more than 200 copies of the new guidelines, Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Fresh Tomato Supply Chain, to growers and shippers. In fact, the second edition that incorporates the latest food safety research released in the past six months is due out the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
"It's important for it to be a living document. We don't want it to simply gather dust," said Ed Beckman of the California Tomato Commission. "Thus far, we've had very good demand for it."
The industry has been in extensive discussions with U.S. Food & Drug Administration officials, who reviewed the guidelines, and with other members of the tomato supply chain such as wholesalers, repackers, foodservice and retailers. Companies such as Darden Restaurants and Subway are very supportive of the new guidelines, he said.
The guidelines were starting to take shape in response to an increasing number of Salmonella-related outbreaks during the past few years. The authors endured more than 30 revisions when it was being developed as Florida and California researchers continued to release new findings. Finally, the work group decided to release a version that could be updated as the research warrants.
The newly released document urges tomato producers and packers to pay special attention to ways to reduce water and human contamination, and to reduce the risk of improper storage temperatures for fresh-cut tomatoes.
"We will be looking at expanding the guidance on value-added and fresh-cut tomatoes," said Mr. Beckman, who added that any of the food safety problems have come from the fresh-cut side.
The task force also hopes to incorporate more information on new regulations that are likely to change handling practices of North American-produced tomatoes. The document would summarize with greater detail new Canadian regulations on Good Agricultural Practices and third-party audits and changes in trace-back regulations for California tomatoes, for example.
"To get the most from this document, we encourage you to read all sections, not simply those that apply to your operation," said the document. "In doing so, you'll gain an understanding of the importance that all levels of the supply chain have in maintaining the safety established on the farm."
Once a tomato is contaminated, removing or killing the pathogens is difficult, so the guidelines stress the need to prevent Salmonella contamination from production through distribution.
Businesses that produce, harvest, pack, repack, process and market fresh field and greenhouse tomatoes should use these guidelines as the minimum requirements for good handling practices. They should supplement, not replace, existing good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices in place for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.
The document is demanding in that it reflects the recent foodborne disease outbreaks, said Mr. Beckman. Once an outbreak is reported, he said, his telephone rings off the hook with members complaining about lost sales. "If there is a weak link, it hurts the whole industry."
