Worker Hygiene Keeps Produce Clean

by Shari L. Plimpton, Ph.D.

Few topics are so disliked, yet so critically important. Time after time, in presentations and training sessions I have conducted with growers; I watch with dismay as grim expressions stare back at me and eyes begin to gloss over. I can almost hear the groans.

Whether it is disliked because everyone believes they already know about hygiene and it is reminiscent of being incessantly reminded by our parents to wash our hands before a meal, or because it brings to mind behaviors we have observed that make us shudder, is open for debate. What I do know is that Worker Hygiene can make all of the difference between a safe and successful operation, and one on the brink of disaster.

The good news for all of us from the USDA is that fruit and vegetable consumption per capita increased 24% between 1970 and 1997. The frequency of foodborne outbreaks associated with fresh produce has remained fairly constant as demonstrated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Passive Survey Data that shows the number of outbreaks hovering between 2 and 4% since 1983. However, the CDC also reports that the number of cases of foodborne illness from fresh produce is increasing from 4% during 1983 to 1987 to 14% during 1993 to 1997. We can ascribe this increase in part to the increased consumption of fresh produce, changes in handling and distribution practices to accommodate that increase, and adaptation by the infective agents that make them more resistant to our sanitation procedures.

When we talk about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP), we describe the potential sources of contamination such as soil, manure, irrigation water, animals, wash water, equipment, and transport containers to name a few. We always include inadequate worker hygiene as one of those sources and rightfully so. However, one can argue that worker hygiene and sanitation is often the doorway for the other sources of contamination to reach the consumer. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Hepatitis A, and other viruses and parasites reside in human and animal intestines, and find their way to human hands. It isn’t difficult to imagine that Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Clostridia bacteria which are common in soil can also find their way onto fresh produce via human contact. Workers who pick, package and/or handle produce can transfer pathogens they have picked up via their hands or gloves and are the last human contact before produce reaches the consumer.

Our focus with agricultural workers is three-fold: Hand washing, Health and Hygiene. For hand washing, we focus on training with understanding to assure frequent and effective hand washing. As simple as it sounds, many people either simply don’t wash their hands every time they have been potentially contaminated, or they fail to do a thorough job. The principles of hand washing that we teach in the GAP program are as follows:

• Wet hands with clean, warm water (where available), apply soap, and work up a lather.

• Rub hands together for at least twenty seconds (sing Happy Birthday to yourself twice – that takes about 20 seconds).

• Clean under the nails and between the fingers. Rub fingertips of each hand in suds on palm of opposite hand.

• Rinse under clean, running water.

• Dry hands with a single use towel.

Worker Health is another key area to manage and promote. Watch for ill workers and don’t let them handle produce. Also watch for open or infected wounds which could be a source of microbial contamination. Workers are unlikely to share their condition with you if they are afraid of loosing a day’s wages. If they are healthy enough and can safely do so, assign them to jobs that do not involve contacting produce or produce handling equipment. Provide adequate bandages and clean gloves for those with wounds. You will get a lot more cooperation in avoiding serious health risks if they are given reasonable options to work.

The third part of our strategy, Hygiene, encompasses training (including hand washing), and supports worker health. Training to use sanitary facilities at all times, encouraging clean attire, supporting the reporting of illness and injury with practical options all contribute to minimizing the risk of spreading pathogens. Educators strive to live up to our responsibility and present worker hygiene information in a useful and engaging manner. Fortunately, we are finding that workers are responding positively. We have observed; however, that the enthusiasm of focused training does drop off after about one month and requires continuous supervisory encouragement, as well as retraining to keep worker hygiene at safer levels throughout the season. And document any training you have done including the date and the worker’s names. This establishes the seriousness of the training as well as provides the grower with a record of the effort made to grow, harvest and pack produce safely.

Worker training is available in both English and Spanish in Ohio via the Ohio Specialty Crop Food Safety Initiative, a cooperative effort managed in partnership by Mid American Ag and Hort Services, The Ohio State University Extension Service – ABE Center and CIFT/EISC, Inc., the Center for Innovative Food Technology. Our goal is to support the healthier eating choice consumers make when they eat more fruit and vegetables by doing everything possible to decrease the risk of foodborne illness. Worker Hygiene on the farm is the cornerstone to significantly reducing those risks.

Consultation for GAPs, developing food safety programs, and passing third party audits is available through CIFT. You can reach us by calling Shari L. Plimpton at 614-314-4627 or emailing us at foodsafety@eisc.org.

Good Agricultural Practices Articles...

• ABCs of GAPs

• Cleanliness is Next to Food Safety

• The Distant Sound of Drumming

• The Efficient Use of Chlorine and Other Sanitizers in Postharvest Fruit and Vegetable Operations

• The Elements of Produce Food Safety Programs

• GAPs in Organics: Fresh Produce Safety from Pre-planting through Production

• Handling Your Food Safety Risks

• Its Not All in the Bag

• Passing a Third Party Food Safety Audit

• Pest Patrol for Fruit and Vegetable Growers

• Planning for Prevention: Fresh Produce Safety from Pre-planting through Production

• So, Just How Clean is Your Water

• Sustaining Healthy Soil

• The Value of a Food Safety Plan

• Water, Water Everywhere

• Worker Hygiene Keeps Produce Clean