1. Research, Education, and Advocacy for the Indiana Produce Industry Amanda Deering, Ph.D. Department of Food Science Scott Monroe Purdue Extension – Daviess Co.

2. What’s the Problem? The number of outbreaks associated with fresh produce has been increasing – Spinach and lettuce – Tomatoes – Sprouts – mung bean and alfalfa – Cantaloupe Pathogens involved: – E. coli O157:H7 – Salmonella spp. – Listeria monocytogenes http://www.nytimes.com “When Bad Things Come From ‘Good’ Food” January 2, 2007

3. What’s the Problem? No kill step (such as cooking) – Consumed raw or lightly cooked Reasons for increased outbreaks: – Increased consumption of fresh produce – Increase in pre-cut, bagged, ready- to-eat products – Transfer of produce over large areas – More automated means of harvest and distribution of fresh produce www.choosemyplate.gov

4. Recent Outbreaks Traced to Produce Mangoes, 2012: Salmonella Braenderup. 15 states, 127 sick, 33 hosp. Cantaloupe, 2012. S. Typhimurium and Newport, 24 states, 261 sick, 94 hosp., 3 deaths Romaine lettuce, 2011, E. coli O157:H7, 10 states, 60 sick, at least 30 hosp. Cantaloupe, 2011, Listeria monocytogenes, 28 states, 147 sick, 143 hosp., 33 deaths Papayas, 2011, Salmonella Agona, 25 states, 106 sick, 10 hosp. Cantaloupe, 2011, Salmonella Panama, 9 states, 20 sick, 3 hosp. Hazelnuts, 2011, E. coli O157:H7, 3 states, 8 sick, 4 hosp. Shredded romaine lettuce, 2010, E. coli O145, 5 states, 33 sick, 12 hosp. Raw produce, 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul, 43 states, 1442 sick, 286 hosp., 2 ? deaths Cantaloupe, 2008 Litchfield, 16 states, 51 sick, 16 hosp. Tomatoes, 2006 (Jimmy John’s), 2012 Salmonella Typhimurium, 21 states, 183 sick, 22 hosp. Fresh spinach, 2006 E. coli O157:H7, 26 states, 200 sick, 102 hosp., 3 deaths Source: CDC Multistate Foodborne Outbreak Investigations http://www.cdc.gov/outbreaknet/outbreaks.html

5. Good Agricultural Practices Methods used at the farm to PREVENT contamination to provide safe agricultural products to consumers – Soil – Water – Worker Hygiene – Planting – Harvesting – Post-Harvest

6. When It Doesn’t Work….. Jensen Farms, Colorado – 2011 – Listeria monocytogens on cantaloupe – 33 killed, 147 hospitalized – Criminal charges against owners (if convicted could spend 6 years in jail and $1.5M in fines) Burch Farms, North Carolina – 2012 – Listeria monocytogens on cantaloupe – FDA issued recall, no deaths Chamberlain Farms, Indiana – 2012 – Salmonella Typhimurium – 2 killed, 178 sickened

7. Purdue Agriculture’s Response to the Produce Food Safety Issue February 2010 Purdue Extension’s Produce Food Safety Team (IBAT) Formed April 2010 First GAPs A-Z Workshop presented to vegetable growers 12 Introductory GAPs Presentations 31 GAPs A-Z and food safety plan writing workshops 4 consecutive years of programming at IHC 23 other (invited, poster, etc.) presentations $76,394.85 in associated funding 8 PowerPoint presentations, including one PARP presentation 11 publications (mostly in Vegetable Crops Hotline) and three in progress Numerous radio/newspaper interviews Activity as of October 2013

8. Purdue Agriculture’s Response to the Indiana Cantaloupe Outbreak and FDA Announcement Extension informational bulletin dealing with Salmonella produced within 48 hours of media announcement GAPs A-Z workshop conducted for ISDH personnel at their request Melon Food Safety – 2012 and Beyond An event for the Indiana watermelon and cantaloupe industries “Team Cantaloupe” formed to work directly with the Indiana Cantaloupe Industry

9. FDA Response to Cantaloupe Outbreaks Collecting surveillance data from the packhouse – L. monocytogens on cantaloupe – Listeria spp. on any contact surfaces

10. Workshops to Prepare Growers The Team Haley Oliver, Amanda Deering – Food Science Scott Monroe – Purdue Extension Florida and North Carolina Extension – Both growing season ahead of Indiana Series of 3 workshops at various cantaloupe pack houses Workshops attended by ISDH

11. Workshop Challenges Volume of production between growers were very different – Some had a food safety team in place – Collected environmental samples routinely – Others were small operations and had little knowledge of food safety ANY size grower can cause illness that is negative for the whole industry

12. What We Covered Overview of Food Safety – Cleaning, sanitizing, use of sanitizers, measuring levels FDA’s Intent What FDA will look for in the packhouse What to expect from the audit process What to do when you “get the call” – Provided growers with a self- audit checklist – Established Food Science/Extension as a resource

13. Cantaloupe Workshops Prepared “Emergency Kit” for growers: – Camera to take pictures – 100 environmental sponges – 100 sterile Whirl-Pak bags – Instructions for how to collect environmental samples – Data sheet – Notepad and pens – Flashlight – Gloves – Our contact information so we could be present during an audit if the growers wanted

14. “The Call” The call was received at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) on July 22 A team of campus and field staff were on-site at 8:00 am (CDT) the next day along with equipment 20 hour response time Purdue personnel accompanied the grower and inspectors and provided parallel environmental sampling for the grower

15. Where did FDA look? Any Contact Surface

16. Where did FDA look? Any Contact Surface

17. Where did FDA look?

18. Cantaloupe Workshops Several growers called to ask questions regarding the audit One grower asked that we be present during their FDA audit Performed a mock audit (with collecting samples) with one grower Working with ISDH Farm Food Safety Consultants – ISDH doing own surveillance

19. Current and Future Efforts Testing common household sanitizers that consumers can use at home to wash cantaloupe (FDA recommends scrubbing with a produce brush under running water before eating) – Contaminating cantaloupe with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes – Then treat with: Bleach Acetic acid (vinegar) Hot water Testing novel sanitizers that can be used by the cantaloupe industry – Electrolyzed water (catholyte,anolyte) – UV Continued work with growers and ISDH Continued work as FSMA rules are finalized Applied for funding (AgSEED) to develop a breeding program for cantaloupe with reduced netting (not funded) – Would aid in preventing bacteria attachment – Help in removing bacteria if they are present

20. Questions? Amanda Deering adeering@purdue.edu 765-494-0512 Scott Monroe jsmonroe@purdue.edu 812-254-8668