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Articles by Trevor Suslow
Postharvest Water Management: Why Does This Have to be So Difficult?
I am not one to dwell in the past and have always tried to be forward- and future-thinking while remaining continually mindful of where we HAVE come from and the cycles of learning in research and commercial practice. I am also not one for waxing nostalgic about my professional career and stepping onto any “retirement swan song” soap box.
Storm-Induced Flood Concerns a Reality for Tree Crops
While some of us have been ankle deep, or worse, in flooded farms, we have all been living with or watching the largest California flood and storm-associated damage and farming losses in more than 30 years. Much has been written about the anticipated crop shortages as well as the known and unknown hazards of flood sources, including those related to food safety, on a farm-specific and regional basis.
Storm-Induced Flood Concerns a Reality for Tree Crops
While some of us have been ankle deep, or worse, in flooded farms, we have all been living with or watching the largest California flood and storm-associated damage and farming losses in more than 30 years. Much has been written about the anticipated crop shortages as well as the known and unknown hazards of flood sources, including those related to food safety, on a farm-specific and regional basis.
New Virus-Resistant Tomato Varieties Set up for Growth
Hazera has launched a series of new tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)-intermediate resistant varieties that are designed to offer an optimal balance between protection and performance while providing growers an effective tool to face the highly infectious virus affecting growers worldwide.
How Vegetable Growers Can Add Some Order to Their Ag Tech Tools
Aaron Hutchinson, Co-Founder and CEO of cloud technology company CropTrak, describes the current ag tech space as being “messy.” “Very messy,” he reiterates. “And we want to help clean it up.” Hutchinson is not alone in his mission. CropTrak and fellow digital technology companies The Yield and Harvest Master by Juniper Systems all share the goal of simplifying the lives of vegetable growers while growing profits — all from their computers and smart phones.
How Bittner-Singer Orchards Bucks Tradition With Its Peach Plantings
Give the Bittner family a fruit tree — any type of fruit tree — and the namesakes of Bittner-Singer Orchards, on the coast of Lake Ontario in Western New York, will grow it in a high-density planting system. Sometimes even by accident. The Bittner brothers, Kevin (left) and David, tend to peach trees spaced 18 by 6 feet apart in a perpendicular V high-density planting system. Photo by Tom Skernivitz Two rows of newly planted high-density peach trees begin to establish themselves.
How Bittner-Singer Orchards Bucks Tradition With Its Peach Plantings
Give the Bittner family a fruit tree — any type of fruit tree — and the namesakes of Bittner-Singer Orchards, on the coast of Lake Ontario in Western New York, will grow it in a high-density planting system. Sometimes even by accident. The Bittner brothers, Kevin (left) and David, tend to peach trees spaced 18 by 6 feet apart in a perpendicular V high-density planting system. Photo by Tom Skernivitz Two rows of newly planted high-density peach trees begin to establish themselves.
Certis Biologicals Offers Free Soil Tests To Help Detect Nematodes
Growers interested in participating in a free nematode soil testing program conducted by Certis Biologicals should complete a short form at nematodetesting.com. Depending on region, the entrants will then work with partner laboratories to gather and submit small soil samples for processing. Results will be shared along with any treatment recommendations from Certis representatives.
Genetics and Phenomics Combo Could Be Key for Powdery Mildew Solution
Powdery mildew is a formidable foe for strawberry growers worldwide. Control of the disease in crops can be cumbersome. New research published by University of Florida scientists shows that combining genomic data with phenomics could be the key to effectively battling this plant pathogen. Phenomics is defined as the study of plant growth, performance, and composition. Scientists use DNA to measure plant traits via phenomics.
Genetics and Phenomics Combo Could Be Key for Powdery Mildew Solution
Powdery mildew is a formidable foe for strawberry growers worldwide. Control of the disease in crops can be cumbersome. New research published by University of Florida scientists shows that combining genomic data with phenomics could be the key to effectively battling this plant pathogen. Phenomics is defined as the study of plant growth, performance, and composition. Scientists use DNA to measure plant traits via phenomics.
Pondering the Best Way to Prune Tree Fruit: Art vs. Science
When I first started writing about fruit growing more than two decades ago, I was taken by the notion that many growers considered pruning an art. I thought it was rather fanciful, and out of place. Having spent a few years covering business at a newspaper, I was used to people making decisions based on numbers. The idea that art entered into it was intriguing. It had a certain unique appeal that I hadn’t found in most other businesses. Turns out my instincts were probably right.
How Smart Surfaces and Coatings Can Help Protect the Produce Industry
By AgriLife Today|December 13, 2021 Improving the safety and water efficiency of specialty fruit and vegetable crops with smart surfaces will be the goal of a new transdisciplinary project led by Texas A&M University. A $2.4 million grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is funding the project.
Four children infected with E. coli after attending fair in Georgia
Georgia state health officials are investigating whether E. coli was spread at the Georgia National Fair held earlier this month. Officials with the Georgia Department of Public Health said they have confirmed four cases of the illness among children who were at the event from Oct. 7 to Oct. 17, news outlets reported. Three of them are now hospitalized. E. coli is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and even kidney damage in some severe cases.
Food safety tips for this Halloween with food safety expert Robert Gravani
Halloween has a different look in many communities this year. Outdoor Halloween parties, car trunk trick-or-treating events and more masks than ever are in the mix. With all these changes, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on some important food safety basics for Halloween festivities. Food safety expert and Cornell Professor Emeritus of Food Science Dr. Robert “Bob” Gravani, gave Food Safety News some tips to keep your family safe from food poisoning this spooky season.
Patient count in Salmonella outbreak related to onions exceeds 800
Since its most recent update on Oct. 18, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added more than 100 people to its patient count in a Salmonella outbreak linked to onions from Mexico. There are now 808 confirmed patients in the outbreak, 156 more than the previous report from the CDC. In addition to the 37 states where sick people live, Puerto Rico is now part of the outbreak, according to today’s agency update.
Dole recalls bagged salads from 10 states because of positive listeria test
Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is recalling garden salads because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This recall is being issued because of a sample of garden salad which yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test conducted by the Department of Agriculture in Georgia, according to the company’s recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration.
Second patient dies in hepatitis A outbreak linked to restaurant chain
Another person has died in an outbreak of hepatitis A among patrons of a chain of restaurants in the Roanoke, VA, area. State officials confirmed the death today but declined to release the name or other details to protect the privacy of the victim and her family. The adult woman is the second person to die in the outbreak. The outbreak has sickened 49 people, with another person infected by contact with one of the direct outbreak patients.
One meat-related Salmonella outbreak over; CDC continues to investigate another
The CDC has been tracking two salmonella outbreaks related to meat products. One has been declared over and the other is ongoing. The ongoing outbreak linked to Citterio brand “Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks” sold by Trader Joe’s and other grocers has had an additional person added to the patient list, bringing the total to 21. The sick people are spread across eight states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Food Standards Scotland consults on enforcement plan
Food Standards Scotland has opened a comment period on plans to change the way food standards issues are handled with a new enforcement notice. The comment period on the new food compliance notice closes on Dec. 16. A compliance notice requires the recipient to take steps to ensure they stop committing the offence. The aim is to help enforcement officers deal quicker and more fairly with intentional or accidental violations of rules on standards such as incorrect or fraudulent product labeling.
Audit finds fruit contamination may go undetected in Ukraine
Microbiological contamination in fruit from Ukraine for export to Europe might not be detected, according to findings from an audit. A DG Sante assessment in Ukraine in June 2021 focused on viruses and bacteria in fresh and frozen soft berries like raspberries and blueberries. DG Sante is the European Commission’s unit for food safety and health. The audit found there was no official system for monitoring, sampling and analyzing fruit for export to the EU for microbial contaminants.
Study suggests missed chances on Listeria prevention in sandwiches
Researchers have suggested opportunities are being missed to prevent listeriosis from pre-packed sandwiches. Eating pre-prepared sandwiches served in hospitals was the most common source of Listeria infections in England and Wales between 1981 and 2015. Scientists said repeated incidents, despite guidance on reducing the risk of listeriosis in healthcare settings being available, shows lessons are not being learned, with risk factors having similarities to those described previously.
Food Safety News
Voters in Maine Tuesday will decide if the state will be first in the nation to include a constitutional “Right to Food.” The ballot measure would add a right to food to the Declaration of Rights in Article 1 of the Maine Constitution, according to the state Attorney General’s office.
Goodfood brand onions recalled in Canada
Goodfood Market Corp is recalling Goodfood brand Onions, Product of Mexico, because of possible Salmonella contamination, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The company reports distributing the recalled onions in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and possibly nationally. This recall was triggered by a U.S. onion recall by ProSource Produce LLC, of Hailey, ID.
USDA announces $12 million investment to institutions serving Hispanic students
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh announced a $12 million investment to Hispanic-serving Institutions of higher education. This announcement was part of a launch of the first in a series of virtual roundtable engagement sessions with Minority-serving Institutions and Land-grant Universities serving underrepresented students.
Singapore plans changes to food safety licensing system
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is to change how it ranks food outlets to focus more on track records than annual audit results. The new licensing framework is called the Safety Assurance for Food Establishments (SAFE). An estimated 23,000 food sites will come under it beginning in January 2023. Those that have demonstrated a good record of food safety assurance and have systems to ensure better safety standards will be eligible for longer licenses and higher award tiers.
No news from FDA on 4 outbreaks; 5th outbreak not reported in agency update
The Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating four foodborne illness outbreaks. No information on what foods are being traced or what sites are being inspected has been released, according to information reported Wednesday by the FDA. The agency did not include any information about an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to salame sticks sold at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores.
Federal court will decide who represents Amos Miller; $250,000 fine at stake
Farmer Amos Miller fired his attorney and now wants Prairie Star National, an advocacy group that may not include licensed counsel, to represent him. But because it is not clear if the federal judge who’s been trying to enforce food safety regulations on Miller and Miller’s Organic Farm will go along. The latest civil actions have been underway since 2019 and changing out his attorneys is a tactic Miller has used before.
FSAI warns of cannabis in sweets ahead of Halloween
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued a warning about jelly sweets containing cannabis ahead of Halloween. The agency urged people to be vigilant due to the dangers of consumption, particularly by children, of products such as jelly sweets containing the psychoactive cannabis component known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Products are packaged to resemble popular brands of jellies to avoid detection. In the United States these kinds of candies are commonly referred to as dummies.
An Oregon grocer and its beef supplier are split over who pays for outbreak costs
A grocer wants to recover more than $2.7 million from its beef supplier for an incident involving the sale of product contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The claim by New Seasons Market LLC and New Leaf Community Markets Inc. filed in Oregon Circuit Court in Portland was lodged against Country Natural Beef Inc. and Oregon Country Beef. The sales occurred in 2019. New Seasons operates a chain of full-service grocery stores in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
Eggs behind five English Salmonella outbreaks in 2019
Five of 15 foodborne Salmonella outbreaks were linked to eggs in England in 2019, according to data published by the UK Health Security Agency. The five Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks sickened 93 people with 13 hospitalized and one death. Two other Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks affected 35 and five people respectively with the source unknown for the largest and identified as mixed food for the smaller incident. The largest outbreak involved 138 people and was caused by Salmonella Mikawasima.
FDA and Stop Foodborne Illness present webinar series on food safety culture
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Stop Foodborne Illness are collaborating on a webinar series that explores food safety culture. The series, entitled “Collaborating on Culture in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety,” is set for from 10:30 a.m. to noon ET Thursday, Nov. 4.
Avoid serving high-risk food to vulnerable people, advises review
Giving high-risk food to vulnerable people in medical settings should be avoided, according to a review of healthcare-associated foodborne outbreaks that included the United States. Researchers said diets should be nutritious and tasty without using high-risk foods but they acknowledged limited budgets of healthcare operations may impact the quality of food served.
White mushrooms recalled in Canada because of Listeria concerns
Carleton Mushroom is recalling sliced white mushrooms prepared for Metro Brands because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The products were distributed in Ontario, Quebec and possibly nationally in Canada. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.
Hong Kong investigating Group B Streptococcus infections linked to fish
Officials in Hong Kong are investigating an outbreak of invasive Group B Streptococcus cases linked to handling freshwater fish. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health asked the public to not consume raw freshwater fish or aquatic products, and to handle such items with caution to avoid contact with wounds, including small cuts and scratches.
Salmonella, pesticides, undeclared colors included in import modifications - Food Safety News
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. Click here to go to the FDA page with links for specific details about this week’s various alert modifications. Click on table to enlarge. Click on link above to go to FDA page with details on individual listings.
Rare Burkholderia pseudomallei infections caused by room spray sold at Walmart
Water and soil are the usual transmission sources when rare Burkholderia pseudomallei infections occur. But in the latest CDC Health Update, the source of four recent associated Burkholderia pseudomallei Infections, also known as Melioidosis, was Gardens-branded Essential Oil infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones “Lavender & Chamomile” scent manufactured in India and sold at Walmart.
Survey supports continued use of remote option for audits
A survey has found a preference for keeping remote or blended audits, assessments and evaluations. A joint International Accreditation Forum (IAF), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) poll in August looked at views on virtual assessment techniques that were used during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Mexican onions recalled because of link to large outbreak of Salmonella infections
Keeler Family Farms of Deming, NM, is recalling red, yellow, and white onions that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and have been connected to a 37-state outbreak of Salmonella infections. This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, based on ProSource Produce LLC onions sourced in Chihuahua, Mexico, being connected to a Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak that has infected more than 650 people.
Green Giant onions recalled in connection to 37-state Salmonella outbreak
Potandon Produce LLC of Idaho Falls, ID, is recalling Green Giant Fresh certain whole yellow, white and red onions because of possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled onions were delivered directly to three UNFI retail distribution centers in Fargo, ND, Bismarck, ND and Hopkins, MN. Further distribution information was not included in the company’s recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration.
Food Safety News
The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) wants the federal court for the Middle District of Georgia to deny former peanut broker Michael Parnell’s petition to vacate, set aside, or correct a prison sentence that could keep him behind bars for the next decade. The filing on Oct.
Biofilms bring safety challenges to food companies
sponsored content In the first installment of this series with Sterilex, Food Safety News explores what biofilms are and their unique resistance to attempts to kill the pathogens they protect. Food processors and manufacturers know the environments in which they operate are friendly to organisms that can taint their products, potentially leading to foodborne illness outbreaks.
CDC suspects Italian-Style Salame in new Salmonella outbreak
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Saturday announced a multistate outbreak involving 20 Salmonella illnesses in eight states with three hospitalizations. It has not resulted in any deaths. The outbreak is linked to Citterio brand Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks sold at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores. “Nine people were interviewed about foods they ate before getting sick, and eight reported eating or maybe eating this (Citterio ) product,” according to CDC.
Researchers find Vibrio types in prawns in United Kingdom pose low risk to humans
Scientists have found half of prawns sampled were contaminated with Vibrio in the United Kingdom but the strains of bacteria identified do not cause severe disease in humans. Quadram Institute researchers studied Vibrio in prawns in the UK to understand the bacterium’s contribution to human disease and its resistance to antibiotics. Non-cholera vibrios are not a notifiable pathogen in the UK and surveillance programs do not actively test and analyze for it.
Industry can use outbreak reports to decide on food safety programs
Opinion Editor’s note: This column was originally posted by Growing Produce. To subscribe, visit https://www.growingproduce.com/subscribe/ “What do you think was different this season?” While not the first question that needs to be asked when facing a product recall or being implicated in a foodborne illness outbreak, that question generally ranks in the top five. In my experience, invariably something, or several somethings, were different in a season when an incident hits.
Publisher's Platform: What did we learn – or not – from the 2020 onion outbreak - Food Safety News
Opinion The last few weeks have sounded remarkably familiar to Spring 2020 when we faced a nationwide (and Canada) Salmonella outbreak linked to California grown onions. We are now facing a similar outbreak – smaller at this point (more than 650 vs. more than 1,600 sickened) – but it will be interesting to see if the root cause of the outbreak tracks as the below 2020 case.
Did you Know? Some Nematodes Offer Natural Defense for Cranberries
Posted by Growing Produce Staff|October 22, 2021 Nematodes with a taste for “insect innards” may offer cranberry growers a natural alternative to fighting hungry crop pests with chemical insecticides. Scientists with USDA-ARS and University of Wisconsin (UW) are now exploring the possibility in field trials. They’ve set their sights on redheaded flea beetles, Sparganothis fruitworms and other cranberry pests that attack the cranberry plant itself or its tart-tasting fruit.
Tips for reducing food safety risks with technology
Opinion By Greg Staley Food businesses face risk every day, with every shift. That means their teams must work proactively to reduce the chances of a foodborne illness incident, security breach, or other crisis. Now, on top of “basic” safety protocols, organizations must also implement COVID-19 protocols, which are ever changing, adhering to local, state, and federal guidelines.
Are food compliant gloves always up to the job?
Bare-handed cross-contamination is a common contributory factor in foodborne outbreaks. But how much better are “food compliant” gloves? Steve Ardagh is the chief executive officer of Eagle Protect, which supplies gloves subject to “fingerprint” analysis. The food safety process and testing far exceed FDA glove compliance. Ardagh, known as “The Glove Guy,” uses food safety trade shows and other public forums to spread the word about the faults of some “food compliant” gloves on the market.
The Latest Salvo on Farm Labor Is a Work in Progress
By Frank Giles|June 28, 2021 The never-ending story of sourcing agricultural labor and its challenges (or immigration reform) didn’t end with the change in presidential administration. That’s no surprise and has always been the case with the issue that is passed like a hot potato from the party in power to the next. But President Biden put the issue in the spotlight during his joint address to Congress in late April, if only briefly in his comments.
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