Projects set to improve food safety in fresh produce sector

Food safety in the fresh produce sector is set to get a boost thanks to two new projects launched by the Fresh Produce Safety Centre.

The two projects, Understanding the Gaps - a Food Safety Literature Review and The Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety, are aimed at improving the safety of Australian and New Zealand fresh produce.

The guidelines project aims to review and update the Guidelines for On-Farm Food Safety for Fresh Produce to expand its scope to include new topics and post-farm activities. The guidelines were last reviewed in 2004 and industry stakeholders have long been calling for a revision.

The Understanding the Gaps project will see a research provider engaged to review the contemporary literature surrounding microbial contamination of fresh produce and the interaction of sanitisers and fungicides when used postharvest.

The Understanding the Gaps report is due to be released in mid-2015, while the revised guidelines will be launched in the third quarter of 2015.

“The Fresh Produce Safety Centre has been established by industry to enhance fresh produce safety throughout Australia and New Zealand. With these projects, we will deliver the resources that industry has identified as top priorities,” said Michael Worthington, chairman of the Fresh Produce Safety Centre.