Economic Costs of GAPs and Insurance Options for Fresh Produce Growers

Of course, this  is the big question.    One of our specialists, Rod Rejesus attacked this venue with two publications.

This publication weighs the economic costs against the benefits of adopting GAPs certification. GAPs Certification: Is it worth it?

As foodborne illness outbreaks are on the rise, growers are faced with increasing risk of economic loss. This paper investigates the insurance options against economic loss that could help growers to safeguard their business operations. Insurance Coverage Options for Fresh Produce Growers

Microbial Testing Labs

Part of creating a food safety program is developing the supporting documentation.  An essential tool to incorporate into your program is the use of microbial testing.  Microbial testing can measure the effectiveness of your proactive food safety program.  It is not meant to be used as a standalone tool, retrospectively incorporated.

Here are some articles on the use of microbial testing

Post-Harvest Food Safety Risk Reduction – H. Russell Cross

Guidance for Industry: Sampling and Microbial Testing of Spent Irrigation Water During Sprout Production

Microbial Testing of Spent Irrigation Water in Sprouts

I will be adding to this list as time goes on.

Growers will already be asking for help in finding labs that can support their programs of testing.  To this end, I have included a list of labs known currently to offer these services.

Food Testing Labs