Produce growers using surface or well water to irrigate their crops may require an appropriate water treatment system in place to meet the water quality standard imposed by FSMA Produce Safety Rule. This study evaluated the potential of using ultraviolet (UV‐C) treatment in reducing the microbial population in agricultural water. Waters with turbidity levels ranging from 10.93 to 23.32 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) were prepared by mixing pond water and well water. The waters were inoculated with a cocktail of generic Escherichia coli (ATCC 23716, 25922, and 11775) and then treated with UV‐C light (20–60 mJ/cm2). All tested doses of the UV‐C treatment reduced the E. coli levels significantly (p < .05) in the water samples with the turbidity levels up to 23.32 NTU. The decrease in the turbidity from 23.32 to 10.93 NTU increased the level of reduction by more than 2.15 log most probable number (MPN)/100 ml). UV‐C treatment effectively reduces microbial load in agriculture water; however, turbidity of water may significantly affect the disinfection efficacy. The study also demonstrated that sprinkler system resulted in a higher level of contamination of cantaloupes compared with drip irrigation. The results indicated that UV‐C treatment could be a promising strategy in reducing the produce safety risks associated with irrigation water.
Preharvest contamination of produce with food borne pathogens has been a major food safety issue. In this study, we investigated the effect of surrounding vegetation on the survival of natural and inoculated generic Escherichia coli on watermelon rinds in an agricultural field setting. There was no significant difference (p > .05) on the populations of natural generic E. coli (1–1.46 log Most Probable Number (MPN)/sample) and coliforms (<3.99 log CFU/cm2) on watermelons harvested from low, medium, and high levels of vegetation. However, the survival rate of generic E. coli inoculated on watermelon rind discs was variable with the level of vegetation. A significant reduction in generic E. coli count was observed within 12 hr at all vegetation levels. After 108 hr, discs placed at low vegetation level had a highest die‐off reduction (3 log Colony Forming Units (CFU)/cm2) compared to medium and high vegetation levels. Practical applications To ensure preharvest produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) produce safety rule has suggested a time interval between last irrigation and harvest for potentially contaminating microorganisms to die‐off. However, a knowledge gap exists regarding the influence of surrounding vegetation on microbial die‐off rates on produce in the agricultural field. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering the surrounding vegetation while making decisions for developing preharvest risk management strategies based on microbial die‐off rate calculations.
The U.S. is one of the largest catfish producers in the world. Louisiana is the leading producer of wild-caught catfish. Historically, the FDA inspected all seafood products; however, in 2008, congress moved the Siluriformes Order fish inspection to the USDA/FSIS. Full enforcement of the rule began on September 1, 2017. This study assessed the impact of USDA Siluriformes fish regulation on small Louisiana wild-caught catfish processors and determined the microbiological quality and Salmonella prevalence in raw fillets. For the assessment, nine facilities participated in the study. Pre- and post-enforcement surveys were used to identify whether facilities had established pre-requisite programs and record-keeping associated with sanitation, HACCP, food defense, and product recall. Also, the processors’ attitude about the change in regulations was analyzed. For the microbiological quality and Salmonella spp. prevalence, catfish samples were collected once a month for two years. Samples were evaluated for APC, coliforms, E. coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Salmonella spp. At the pre-enforcement survey, only one facility had a HACCP plan developed, but it was not implemented. After one year of full enforcement, all the facilities developed and implemented a HACCP plan to process fresh catfish. Also, 78% of the processors reported a reduction in the amount of catfish processed due to limits in hours of operation and loss of fishermen. For the microbiological quality, the counts for APC, E. coli , coliforms, and S. aureus were 5.01±0.70, 0.58±0.89, 2.16±0.77, and 0.73±1.02 Log CFU/g, respectively. Additionally, 5.3% of the samples was confirmed positive to Salmonella spp. The findings of this study showed that after USDA enforcement, facilities improved food safety program documentation; however, the processing practices did not change. The microbial quality of the catfish fillets was within the acceptable levels in accordance with the ICMSF.
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