By Allan Thornton

Extension Associate

The issue of foodborne illness and food safety has a wide impact across commodities. It is estimated that the strawberry industry lost an estimated $50 million in 1996 after mistakenly being implicated as a source of pathogens in an outbreak. During the 1990s, the Odwalla juice company experienced an outbreak. Company shareholder value dropped approximately 41 percent in the six months after the outbreak.

There is increasing awareness by consumers of what they are eating, where that food originates, and how it has been handled prior to reaching their table. An April 2008 Deloitte survey of consumers showed that compared with five years ago, 76 percent of consumers are more concerned about the food they eat. In recent years an increasing number of reports in the media focus on contaminated produce and other food products. In North Carolina, fresh produce food safety has been designated as a key area of concern by the government, universities and industry. A multidisciplinary task force has been established to address food safety issues from field to fork. What follows is some basic information about the NC Fresh Produce Safety Task Force.

Goal of the Task Force

To ensure that North Carolina has a competitive, vibrant and safe fresh produce industry supported through the research, teaching and outreach programs of N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Farm Bureau and industry groups.

Purpose of the Task Force

The North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force minimizes food safety risks and enhances the economic competitiveness of North Carolina’s fresh produce industry.

Partnering Organizations

The task force is a partnership that brings together members involved in education, public policy, the fresh produce industry and research. Partnering institutions and agencies include:

• North Carolina State University,Cooperative Extension, including the program areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Family and Consumer Sciences, the departments of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutritional Sciences; Horticultural Science; Agricultural and Resource Economics; Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Family and Consumer Sciences; and Communication Services.

• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Cooperative Extension, Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Design and Family and Consumer Sciences.

• North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina Food and Drug Protection Division and Marketing Division.

• United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

•North Carolina Farm Bureau

• Commodity Groups

• Fresh Produce Brokers/Distributors

• Individual Growers

A Historical Perspective on the Task Force

The North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force was formed in April 2007 under the direction of Dr. Trevor Phister, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutritional Sciences. The task force was formed with members of the above groups to help identify and address the needs of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry in the area of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Management Practices (GMPs) and fresh produce safety. The task force consists of five working groups: Education, Research, Industry and Policy Relationships, Regulations and Communications, and Executive Management Oversight.

Efforts like the N.C. Fresh Produce Food Safety Task Force are intended to not only insure the continuing vitality of the produce industry, but also to insure the continued safety for the consumer.