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- Sanitation and Postharvest Handling
Final question located in the Sanitation and Postharvest Handling Decision Tree
All storage areas, including coolers, should be clean to reduce risk of cross contamination
Are refrigerated or cold storage rooms clean and used properly?
Are packing container and packing materials stored in an area that is covered?
Cull piles should be disposed of properly to avoid attracting pests
Are cull piles properly disposed of at the end of each packing day?
Daily cleaning is important to reduce the risk of microorganisms
Are the packing, sorting, and grading areas cleaned at the end of each day of use?
Workers should be trained so they understand the importance of wearing clean clothes to work
Are workers trained to wear clean clothes and follow other personal equipment requirements
Workers need to understand and follow SOPs
Have SOPs been developed for cleaning and sanitizing equipment and tools?
Any surface that fresh produce touches after being harvested may serve as a source of contamination
Can all food contact surfaces in the facility (e.g., grading tables, conveyor belts, tool, bins) be easily cleaned and sanitized?
Have you diagrammed the flow of produce through the packing area
Do you sort, package, wash, or grade produce on a packing house, shed, or other structure?
Currently, whole fresh fruits and vegetables are exempt from legally required implementation of GMPs
Sample Forms for the Sanitation and Postharvest Handling Decision Tree
All storage areas, including coolers, should be clean to reduce risk of cross contamination
Produce storage area should receive regular cleaning as determined by the farm’s SOPs
Packing containers and other packing materials that are not used right away should be stored
Fresh produce should always be packed into clean boxes to avoid cross contamination
Any debris and dirt should be removed from fresh produce bins before entering the packing area
For all facilities, a pest control program must be established to exclude or eliminate rodents
Cull piles should be disposed of properly to avoid attracting pests
Daily cleaning is important to reduce the risk of microorganisms
Workers should be trained so they understand the importance of wearing clean clothes to work
Workers need to understand and follow SOPs
SOPs provide a detailed, step-by-step process of how to clean and sanitize equipment and tools
Any surface that fresh produce touches after being harvested may serve as a source of contamination
To begin developing an effective sanitation program, it is important to understand how fresh produce moves through the packing area
Regardless of where you pack produce, sanitation practices are going to be important to produce safety
Final question located in the Sanitation and Postharvest Handling Decision Tree
Are refrigerated or cold storage rooms clean and used properly?
Is finished produce stored in an area that is cleaned regularly?
Are packing container and packing materials stored in an area that is covered?
Is produce always packed into new, single-use containers?
Do you remove as much dirt, mud, and debris
Have you established a pest control program?
Are cull piles properly disposed of at the end of each packing day?
Are the packing, sorting, and grading areas cleaned at the end of each day of use?
Are workers trained to wear clean clothes and follow other personal equipment requirements
Have workers been trained to follow farm SOPs
Have SOPs been developed for cleaning and sanitizing equipment and tools?
Can all food contact surfaces in the facility (e.g., grading tables, conveyor belts, tool, bins) be easily cleaned and sanitized?
Have you diagrammed the flow of produce through the packing area
Do you sort, package, wash, or grade produce on a packing house, shed, or other structure?
