This interactive checklist will help apple growers reduce risks from microbial contamination and pesticides.
Outbreaks of food-borne illness are regularly in the news. Both raw and processed fruits, including cider, have created problems. Government agencies are working with everyone from growers to consumers to reduce food safety risks. Growers can make important contributions by following good practices in growing and processing apples. Improved practices can protect fruit from contamination by Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157H7, Salmonella and other microorganisms. Growers also can do their part to ensure food safety by following good pest management practices. Whether you sell fresh fruit or make cider, this checklist can help you reduce food safety risks.
There are good reasons for taking voluntary action to reduce food safety risks. You can provide assurance to regulators, retailers and consumers that you are serious about food safety. By reducing risks, you can avoid legal problems. Improved pesticide management can also protect the health and safety of your family and workers.
With a food safety assessment under your belt, you will have taken an important step in setting up a management system that can help reduce environmental and other risks in your business. As part of this system, you should periodically review your operation to uncover opportunities to reduce risks. In this way, you can build on the food safety assessment to continue to reduce risks and improve your management.
The interactive checklist is no longer available online. A PDF version is available.
