SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The rapid growth in demand for fresh-cut produce and updated federal guidelines for safe food handling are forcing produce managers to take a tougher approach to sanitation and food safety.
The guidelines, issued earlier this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are designed to prevent the spread of food-borne bacteria. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, food-borne bacteria cause some 9,000 deaths and more than 80 million reported illnesses each year in the United States.
While most recent outbreaks have been traced to meat products, several have been attributed to melons and cut fruit sold from supermarket salad bars.
According to John Farquhar, vice president of scientific and technical services for the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, the new code puts tremendous responsibility on supermarkets to ensure food safety.
Among other things, the code, known as the 1993 National Food Protection Code (although it was actually issued in 1994), requires produce managers to make sure their employees practice good hygiene and report to management if they've been exposed to certain communicable diseases.
Farquhar discussed aspects of the code that apply to produce departments during a seminar here last month at the Annual Produce Conference, which was jointly sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute, Produce Marketing Association, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association and the National-American Wholesale Grocers' Association.
Retailers contacted by SN said the code adds new challenges to running their departments.
"We already enforce thorough hand-washing, but it sounds like the new code has a lot of requirements that are going to be tough to manage," said a produce director from a Midwest supermarket chain.
Farquhar showed the first of eight videos FMI is producing on the food code, which offers advice for supermarket employees who handle exposed food products, equipment, utensils or linens:
Wash hands and arms frequently, especially after leaving the work area, handling food, touching or scratching body parts, sneezing, coughing or smoking. Wash hands twice and clean nails with a nail brush after using the rest room. Keep clothing and aprons clean.
Report to supervisor if diagnosed with a food-borne illness caused by salmonella, shigella, E. coli 0157:H7 or Hepatitis A. Also report if a household member has been diagnosed with such an illness or has been exposed to anyone who is infected.
