US: Identification of fresh-cut produce from field to fork
Produce growers and packers, fresh-cut produce processors, and shippers are encouraged to record growing, transporting, distributing, packing, and processing, and with retail sectors to work with their partners in to develop technologies that allow identification of fresh-cut produce from the grower to your operation, to the retailer, and to the consumer.
ScoringAg has the necessary records to give proof of record establishment. Our technology has been developed and is used by the food industry successfully.
Traceback is the process of tracking food items, such as fresh-cut produce, back to their source (growers, transporters, packers, processor, field and when harvested). The ability to identify the source of a product can serve as an important complement to food safety programs intended to prevent the occurrence of microbial contamination. Information gained from a traceback investigation may also be useful in limiting the impact of an outbreak of foodborne illness and in identifying and eliminating conditions that may have resulted in the produce becoming contaminated.
In general, anything that comes into contact with fresh produce has the potential to contaminate it. Fresh produce may become contaminated at any point along the farm-to-table continuum. The major source of microbial contamination of fresh produce is indirect or direct contact with animal or human feces. Once fresh produce has been contaminated, removing or killing the microbial pathogens is very difficult. Prevention of microbial contamination at all steps in the farm-to-table continuum is preferable to treatment to eliminate contamination after it has occurred.
On the farm, potential contamination avenues include contact with untreated manure used as a soil amendment, contaminated water, infected workers, or conditions in the field or packing facility such as unclean containers and tools used in harvesting and packing, and the presence of animals. In transport, conditions such as unclean floors and walls of the transport vehicle and unclean containers can contribute to contamination with pathogens.
Thus, it is important that fresh-cut produce processors be aware of the conditions under which their fresh produce is grown, harvested, packed, and transported. Furthermore, knowing your suppliers and what they are doing to minimize risk of contamination is prudent. First, such records help ensure consistency of processing operations and end-product quality and safety.
They are more reliable than human memory, and they are a useful tool to identify operational areas where inconsistencies occur and further employee training may be needed. Second, maintaining adequate documentation and records of processing operations is important if a traceback investigation of product is ever needed.
Because a recall may extend to more than one lot of product, we recommend that processors develop a coding system to help identify individual production lots and to whom each lot is distributed. Use of package and date codes can help link product packages with production times, equipment, and raw ingredient sources and may facilitate recovery of products during a recall.
This system is exactly what ScoringAg does from field to fork with our web-based recordkeeping system for all growers, brokers, transporters, and packers or processors.
FDA says: Records are most useful when they begin by including the date and time, name of person(s) who completed the record, and the activity or production station being recorded.
This is exactly what ScoringAg is doing. ScoringAg traceback code labels provide the traceback from field to fork.
Pathogens Often Transmitted by Food that Has Been Contaminated by Infected Employees
A wide range of communicable diseases may be transmitted by infected employees to consumers through contaminated food or food utensils. We recommend that fresh-cut produce firms establish an ongoing program to identify employees who present a risk of transmitting foodborne pathogens to fresh produce or to other employees.
This guidance represents the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current thinking on this topic. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. You may use an alternative approach if the approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations. If you want to discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA staff responsible for implementing this guidance.
Records help ensure consistency of processing operations and end-product quality and safety. They are more reliable than human memory, and they are a useful tool to identify operational areas where inconsistencies occur and further employee training may be needed. Second, maintaining adequate documentation and records of operations is important if a traceback investigation of product is ever needed.
ScoringAg recordkeeping leads the industry in real-time document entry and verification of data from field to fork including employee data.
For any question about ScoringAg recordkeeping and it’s traceback system call your nearest representative or our office.
Contact:
William Kanitz
President
ScoringSystem, Inc.
Site-Specific Recordkeeping ™
Point-to-Point-Traceback ™
1-941-330-1140
Produce growers and packers, fresh-cut produce processors, and shippers are encouraged to record growing, transporting, distributing, packing, and processing, and with retail sectors to work with their partners in to develop technologies that allow identification of fresh-cut produce from the grower to your operation, to the retailer, and to the consumer.
ScoringAg has the necessary records to give proof of record establishment. Our technology has been developed and is used by the food industry successfully.
Traceback is the process of tracking food items, such as fresh-cut produce, back to their source (growers, transporters, packers, processor, field and when harvested). The ability to identify the source of a product can serve as an important complement to food safety programs intended to prevent the occurrence of microbial contamination. Information gained from a traceback investigation may also be useful in limiting the impact of an outbreak of foodborne illness and in identifying and eliminating conditions that may have resulted in the produce becoming contaminated.
In general, anything that comes into contact with fresh produce has the potential to contaminate it. Fresh produce may become contaminated at any point along the farm-to-table continuum. The major source of microbial contamination of fresh produce is indirect or direct contact with animal or human feces. Once fresh produce has been contaminated, removing or killing the microbial pathogens is very difficult. Prevention of microbial contamination at all steps in the farm-to-table continuum is preferable to treatment to eliminate contamination after it has occurred.
On the farm, potential contamination avenues include contact with untreated manure used as a soil amendment, contaminated water, infected workers, or conditions in the field or packing facility such as unclean containers and tools used in harvesting and packing, and the presence of animals. In transport, conditions such as unclean floors and walls of the transport vehicle and unclean containers can contribute to contamination with pathogens.
Thus, it is important that fresh-cut produce processors be aware of the conditions under which their fresh produce is grown, harvested, packed, and transported. Furthermore, knowing your suppliers and what they are doing to minimize risk of contamination is prudent. First, such records help ensure consistency of processing operations and end-product quality and safety.
They are more reliable than human memory, and they are a useful tool to identify operational areas where inconsistencies occur and further employee training may be needed. Second, maintaining adequate documentation and records of processing operations is important if a traceback investigation of product is ever needed.
Because a recall may extend to more than one lot of product, we recommend that processors develop a coding system to help identify individual production lots and to whom each lot is distributed. Use of package and date codes can help link product packages with production times, equipment, and raw ingredient sources and may facilitate recovery of products during a recall.
This system is exactly what ScoringAg does from field to fork with our web-based recordkeeping system for all growers, brokers, transporters, and packers or processors.
FDA says: Records are most useful when they begin by including the date and time, name of person(s) who completed the record, and the activity or production station being recorded.
This is exactly what ScoringAg is doing. ScoringAg traceback code labels provide the traceback from field to fork.
Pathogens Often Transmitted by Food that Has Been Contaminated by Infected Employees
A wide range of communicable diseases may be transmitted by infected employees to consumers through contaminated food or food utensils. We recommend that fresh-cut produce firms establish an ongoing program to identify employees who present a risk of transmitting foodborne pathogens to fresh produce or to other employees.
This guidance represents the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current thinking on this topic. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. You may use an alternative approach if the approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations. If you want to discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA staff responsible for implementing this guidance.
Records help ensure consistency of processing operations and end-product quality and safety. They are more reliable than human memory, and they are a useful tool to identify operational areas where inconsistencies occur and further employee training may be needed. Second, maintaining adequate documentation and records of operations is important if a traceback investigation of product is ever needed.
ScoringAg recordkeeping leads the industry in real-time document entry and verification of data from field to fork including employee data.
For any question about ScoringAg recordkeeping and it’s traceback system call your nearest representative or our office.
Contact:
William Kanitz
President
ScoringSystem, Inc.
Site-Specific Recordkeeping ™
Point-to-Point-Traceback ™
1-941-330-1140