August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Food safety at farmers‘marketsDr. Ben Chapman

Dr. Chris Gunter

Diane Ducharme

Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus

Dr. Trevor Phister

Allison Smathers

North Carolina State University, NC Cooperative Extension

August 28, 2012

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Increasing demand and popularity of farmers' markets

USDA-AMS, 2011

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Food safety culture

• It is a set of shared attitudes, values and beliefs around food safetyo Production/sourceso Handling/storageo Preparation

• You can have a good food safety culture or a bad one

Powell, D.A., Jacob, C.J., and Chapman, B.J. 2011. Enhancing food safety culture to reduce rates of foodborne illness. Food Control, 22: 817-822.

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety ForumFarmers' market outbreaks• In 2000, Escherichia coli O157:H7

linked to samples in Fort Collins, CO

o 14 illnesses, two hospitalizations

• In 2010, Salmonella Newport linked to guacamole, salsa and uncooked tamales in east-central Iowa

o 44 illnesses

• In 2011, Escherichia coli O157:H7 linked to strawberries sold at multiple farm stands and farmers' markets in Oregon

o One death, 15 illnesses, and seven hospitalizationsOregon Health Authority, 2011; Iowa Department of

Public Health, 2010; Bridges, 2000

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Message from public health

• Avoid strawberries sold at farmers’ markets and roadside stands in Oregon

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Purpose of project

To use a risk-based approach to reduce the risks of pathogen contamination and increase positive food safety culture in the farmers’ markets of North Carolina

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Risk = probability x consequence

Norovirus vs. botulism

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Format for the project

• Evaluate needs by observing current practices

• Go to the literature and look for hazards/risks• Work with an advisory team to oversee

education format, style and pragmatism

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

• Infrastructure and practices collected through secret shopper observationso Trained 20 secret shopperso Assessed current food safety practices and

knowledge 37 farmers’ markets 160 vendors

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Food Safety Forum

Areas where focus was needed

• Handwashing o Infrastructure and practices

• Samplingo Preventative controls and tools

• Hazard identification• How to create a market system that supports

food safety as a prime value

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Delivery

• Train NC Cooperative Extension field faculty/extension agents

• Those agents have delivered to over 700 market vendors and managers across the state

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Impacts

• Selected 36 farmers markets to track in 2011 and 2012o Outside handwashing stations

increased from 1 to 9 o 4 markets built/brought

restroomso Decrease of hand santizer (a

good thing)o 8% increase in use of one-use

gloves

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

"Contrary to the opinion stated by some, a personal relationship and warm feelings toward the vendor is not a reliable indicator of cleanliness, nor does it impart anti-bacterial properties.”

-Hal Prince, ME Dept of Agriculture

Bangor Daily News, Dec. 2, 2011

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

ncgoodfarmersmarketpractices.com

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Special thank yous to

• Allison Smathers, MS student• Secret shoppers• Advisory team• NC Fresh Produce Safety Task Force• NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

August 28, 2012Commissioner’s

Food Safety Forum

Dr. Ben Chapmanbenjamin_chapman@ncsu.eduFollow me on twitter @benjaminchapman919 809 3205ncgoodfarmersmarketpractices.comwww.foodsafetyinfosheets.comwww.barfblog.com