Evaluation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Compliance by Small Farmers in Kentucky: Assessing Microbial Quality of Produce

Topè, Avinash M; Rogers, Phyllis F.; Hitter, Alexandra C.

doi:10.15640/jaes.v3n4a3

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…carrots as produce growing under the surface, leafy greens as produce growing at surface level, and tomatoes as produce growing above the surface level. As reported earlier [32], most Enterobacteriaceae were detected (18.5%) on carrots, followed by tomatoes and leafy greens. Table 3: Occurrence (%) Enterobacteriaceae from supermarket samples and their resistance profile.…”

Section: Retail Samplessupporting

confidence: 83%

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Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Coliforms Isolated on Farm, Packaged and Loose Vegetables in Kentucky

Topè¹,

Hitter²,

Patel³

2016

J Food Microbiol Saf Hyg

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Fresh produce normally carry epiphytic microorganisms; however, it can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Categorized as 'ready-to-eat', most vegetables are consumed raw, thus, may present a food safety risk. Over the last three decades, global consumption of fresh vegetables has increased considerably, and the market has expanded by more than 20%. Concomitantly, the number of outbreaks involving fresh vegetables has increased significantly. Enterobacteriaceae members are involved in most of the bacterial outbreaks linked to fresh produce. There is a worldwide concern about the increased use of antimicrobials in agriculture. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria enter the food chain from the farm, often due to the use of animal manure. In the current study, the presence of entero-coliform bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in fresh vegetables sampled from small farms to retail was evaluated. Samples of vegetables were (i) collected directly from small farms from central Kentucky (n=59) and (ii) from four supermarkets in Frankfort, KY including loose and pre-packaged produce (n=72), analyzed for isolation of entero-coliform species. Members of the Enterobacteriaceae were detected on 25% of farm and 40% of retail produce, respectively. Approximately, 61% of the packaged produce and 19.4% of the loose produce had entero-bacterial presence, respectively. Their resistance to fourteen common antimicrobials was tested using Kirby-Bauer method. Approximately, 63% of isolates from farm and 70% of isolates from retail produce displayed resistance to at least three antimicrobial agents, while 18% of the isolates from farm and 41% from retail samples displayed resistance to at least ten antimicrobial agents. We conclude that 'ready-to-eat' fresh vegetables can be a source of exposure to pathogens with multiple drug resistance (MDR), defined as resistance to at-least three antimicrobial agents, leading to greater risks in immunocompromised individuals, and may serve as reservoirs for resistance gene transfers in human colon.

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Section: Retail Samplessupporting

confidence: 83%

“…These produce types were chosen based on a previous study in which higher contamination of E. coli was observed in produce samples that grew at or below the surface of the plant compared to produce samples that grew above the surface [32]. Each vegetable was chosen as representative of the placement, i.e.…”

Section: Retail Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Coliforms Isolated on Farm, Packaged and Loose Vegetables in Kentucky

Topè¹,

Hitter²,

Patel³

2016

J Food Microbiol Saf Hyg

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“…Ready-to-eat food products, primarily fresh fruit and vegetables, usually dominate the available goods at these markets across the country [3][4][5][6]. With the growing number of farmers markets, consumers' demand for locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables has also increased [7]. This rise in fresh produce consumption may be attributed to an increased awareness about nutrition and enhancing healthy eating habits [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Safety Challenges and Barriers in Southern United States Farmers Markets

Mohammad

Neal

et al. 2019

Foods

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Purchasing fresh and local produce at farmers markets has seen an increasing trend over the past decade. However, with this rise in popularity food safety challenges need to be recognized and addressed. Farmers market managers play a significant role in ensuring that vendors implement food safety practices at the market. Thus, this study investigated the food safety perceptions of farmers markets managers and vendors in Texas and Arkansas. A total of 123 participants were surveyed, including 38 managers and 85 vendors. The survey included a series of questions to determine gaps in vendor and manager food safety knowledge as well as the barriers and factors that prevent the implementation of relevant food safety practices. The results indicate that a lack of facilities, equipment, and resources containing food safety guidelines specific to farmers markets were the major barriers to the implementation of food safety practices. In addition, only 36.7% of participants had formal food safety training (e.g., ServSafe) and approximately 50% of the market managers provided food safety materials to their vendors. Overall, these data suggest that the development of farmers market-specific training programs to enhance food safety behaviors and practices in farmers markets would be beneficial to stakeholders.

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“…Efficient integration and application processes along with cover cropping in the long-term and sustainable use of animal manure can control pathogens [12], but there have been few studies investigating how cover crops influence the persistence of fecal bacteria in soil. Schutter et al [13] observed that season was the key determinant of microbial community structure, rather than winter or summer cover crop use; E. coli numbers declined as temperatures fell.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover Crop and Fertility Effects on Escherichia coli Abundance in a Composted Poultry Litter-Amended Silt Loam Soil

Sarr

Coyne

Gebremedhin

et al. 2020

Applied and Environmental Soil Science

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Soil conservation practices such as cover crops can improve crop production, soil quality, and water quality. Cover crops can also influence soil microbial growth and activity. Cover cropped and manured soils can potentially store and transmit fecal bacteria (e.g., E. coli) to surface water if runoff and subsurface seepage occur. While many studies have shown the soil health benefits of cover crops, fewer studies have evaluated the extent to which cover crops influence the abundance of potential waste-borne pathogens. A two-year study (2015–2017) was conducted on a limited-resource farm in Logan County, Kentucky, USA, to quantify the abundance of the fecal indicator Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (as a proxy for fecal coliforms) in treatments with and without cover crops or composted poultry litter. The cover crop consisted of a cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) mix. Summer crops consisted of a no-till maize (Zea mays L.)—soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. Soil samples were taken before and after each summer crop season and assessed to detect and enumerate E. coli. At the end of the study period, no significant treatment differences in the E. coli abundance in soil were detected (ca. 104 CFU·g−1) (p>0.05). However, season/time was a significant factor (p<0.05). We conclude that the background E. coli already present in soil was sufficiently high, inhibiting the detection of the influence of added composted litter. These indigenous E. coli were unaffected by cover crop and nutrient management but did fluctuate on a seasonal basis.

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Evaluation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Compliance by Small Farmers in Kentucky: Assessing Microbial Quality of Produce

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Coliforms Isolated on Farm, Packaged and Loose Vegetables in Kentucky

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Coliforms Isolated on Farm, Packaged and Loose Vegetables in Kentucky

Food Safety Challenges and Barriers in Southern United States Farmers Markets

Cover Crop and Fertility Effects on Escherichia coli Abundance in a Composted Poultry Litter-Amended Silt Loam Soil

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