With the threat of the deadly Huanglongbing citrus greening disease coming to the state, California citrus growers are doing all they can to keep the disease vector asian citrus psyllid out of their orchards; however, these treatments are also taking out natural enemies for red scale, causing a resurgence of the pest in California orchards. Watch this brief video as researcher David Holden explains, and read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.
The USDA has declared April to be “Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month,” during a critical time of year when damaging invasive species emerge and can be easily spread in outdoor items that people pack and move, such as grills, gardening equipment, wading pools, bicycles, and patio furniture.
Invasive species are a series problem. They attack trees, plants and agriculture, costing the United States about $40 billion each year. Household moves increase the risk for the spread of these invasive species, since people can potentially transport them to new areas.
CDFA partners with the USDA to prevent and eradicate invasive species in California. The agencies have a long history of working together on programs like Asian citrus psyllid/huanglongbing, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, and the European Grapevine Moth.
About 35 million Americans move every year, bringing a high possibility of transporting invasive pests. For instance, federal and state inspectors often find gypsy moth egg masses on outdoor household items and recreational vehicles in non-infested areas. The USDA is offering a free checklist for household moves that includes suggestions and tips for reducing this risk.
Click here for more information about CDFA’s invasive species programs.
Click here for more information about the USDA’s Hungry Pests outreach program.
Biocontrol agents, beneficial microbes, entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria that can enhance crop production — these were all topics of discussion at the recent UC Cooperative Extension Ag Innovations Conference in Santa Maria, led by UCCE Entomology & Biologicals Advisor Surendra Dara. Watch this brief interview with Surendra as he shares more about what was discussed.
Each year roughly 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from
foodborne illnesses according to the CDC. As our food supply becomes progressively more
globalized, the need to strengthen food safety systems in and between countries has become
much more apparent.
Legislation like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)now enables the Food & Drug
Administration (FDA) to better protect consumers by strengthening food safety systems for
foodborne illnesses, which are mostly preventable and are a significant public health burden.
With the creation of FSMA, the FDA has become more proactive towards food safety
prevention. One solution to the ever-growing issue of foodborne illness is the inclusion of a
robust Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP).
According to FDA rule Verification of Implementation and Effectiveness CFR 21 section 117.165
and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human
Food:
A facility who has identified a potential environmental pathogen or indicator organism
as a hazard to ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are required to include an EMP in their food
safety plan. A trained Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) needs to review
EMP test results to ensure that the Food Safety Plan is being followed.
The purpose of an EMP is to identify problem areas where potentially harmful microorganisms
may be harboring, becoming a source of contamination; as well as verifying the effectiveness
of sanitation programs. Several benefits of an EMP include:
There are many routes environmental pathogens and other harmful organisms can be
introduced directly into your facility. Some of these routes are by raw materials, ingredients,
supplies, equipment, and vehicles, as well as personnel, visitors and pests. Two harmful
pathogens to keep track of are Salmonella and Listeria.
Salmonella
Salmonella is a widespread and resilient bacteria that is found in the environment. It can
survive in “dry” manufacturing environments, as well as “wet” manufacturing environments.
Essentially, it is a versatile bacteria that has the potential to causes harm when you
aren’t proactive.
According to the CDC, Salmonella causes around 1 million foodborne illnesses, 19,000
hospitalizations and 380 deaths in the United States annually.
Not only can Salmonella result in foodborne illnesses, but it can also result in a costly recall for
your company. FDA currently considers Salmonella to be the top environmental pathogen of
concern in low moisture foods. Outbreaks and recallscaused by Salmonella have been linked
to raw chicken, ground beef, pre-cut melon, and breakfast cereals. There is also a history of
recalls in tree nuts, nut butter, alfalfa sprouts, cantaloupes, and chicken.
Our article “Salmonella- The Most Common Bacterial Foodborne Disease”goes into detail
about Salmonella and effective ways for you to prevent it in your facility.
Listeria
Listeria bacteria is prevalent in the environment. It is found in soil, water, and
decaying vegetation.There are six types of listeria, but only Listeria
monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is considered harmful to humans.
L. monocytogenes is persistent in and around equipment and the processing
environments in harborage sites. It can survive and grow at refrigerated
temperatures, tolerate high salt concentrations such as a brine tank, and
survive frozen storage for extended periods. Due to these factors, L.
monocytogenes presents a severe food safety concern.
According to CDC, L. monocytogenes causes about 1,600 foodborne illnesses and 260
people deaths in the United States annually. Outbreaks and recalls are regularly linked to
ready-to-eat RTE sliced meats, frozen vegetables, packages salads, dairy products, and
cantaloupes.
To systemically combat these pathogens, a robust Environmental Monitoring Program usually
utilizes zoning concepts. Zones are a useful tool that can help you in site selection within your
facility. The EMP zoning concept divides risks into four zones based on the level of risk to
product contamination with Zone 1 being the highest.
Zone 1– Direct or indirect Food Contact Surfaces (FCS), i.e. product conveyors, product
chutes, storage hoppers, slicers, worktables and employee hands.
Recommended testing for zone 1 are:
Pathogens need to be tested in special circumstances such as a response to Positive
Salmonella product result.
Zone 2– Non-FCS that are adjacent to or close to zone 1, i.e., equipment supports, frames,
control panels, weight scales, floor drains and air filters.
Recommended organisms to be tested:
Both of these tests need to be performed weekly.
Zone 3– Non-FCS within process area but further
removed from product contact surfaces in open
product areas, i.e., forklifts, walls, floors, ceilings,
wash stations and brooms.
Recommended organisms to be tested:
Both of these tests need to be performed weekly.
Zone 4– Non-FCS outside of the processing areas,
i.e., locker rooms, cafeteria, hallways, trash areas,
wash stations outside of production areas and
loading docks.
Recommended organisms to be tested:
Both of these tests need to be performed weekly.
If you find a positive environmental result in any of the zones, immediately quarantine the
area and put affected product on hold. Next, thoroughly investigated the area both visually
and with microbial testing.
The best way to investigate a positive
environmental result is with vector swabbing.
Vector swabbing determines the extent of the
contamination and to establish potential root
causes of the contamination.
Diagram is courtesy of the PEM Guidance on Environmental
Monitoring, Almond Board of California
Vector swabbing involves sampling of multiple environmental sample sites around the initial positive site in a radial patter. This approach gives you the best possible coverage of
the environment.
What to remember when swabbing:
After you have established your zones and your
proposed action plan in the event of a positive environmental sample, you now need to
samples the intended sites. Various methods can be used for collecting environmental
samples such as sterile swabs and sponges. When collecting these types of samples, the
surface area sampled can vary depending on the target site. An acceptable sampling area for
indicator organisms is 40-200 in 2 and for pathogens is 40-400 in 2 .
If the sampling collection is post sanitizer application, make sure the sterile swab and
sponge has a neutralizing buffer. The neutralizing buffer counteracts cleaners and sanitizers
that have been used- we want to find any surviving bacteria if they are present. Environmental
samples are to be promptly submitted to an accredited Laboratory for testing. Ideally,
environmental samples should be transported <45 o F and processed within 48 hours.
The cost of environmental contamination can be high, so you must ask yourself what risk you
are willing to take? To save yourself a lot of trouble ensure you have an effective and robust
Environmental Monitoring Program!
With one, you can guarantee that you find any potential contamination risk and eliminate it
before any possible cross-contamination of your product occurs. It is important to remember
that commitment is needed throughout the facility, from senior management and cascading
down to the rest of the workforce. Sufficient resources, both in capital and personnel to do an
adequate job are also needed, and while the thought of creating a new EMP may seem like a
daunting task, the outcome is not only beneficial for your facility but also to the consumer.
Safe Food Alliance offers an online course for Environmental Monitoring to help you
understand what Environmental Monitoring is, what the requirements for FSMA are, and other
information to help with creating and understanding your Environmental Monitoring
program.
Salmonella – we all know it’s bad for us but why? What is it? Where does it come from? Why
should we care? Does my company have a plan in place if something tests positive?
With all the news lately about one recall after another, it is easy to be tormented with endless
questions. I am here to tell you that with a food safety plan and proper testing, Salmonella is a threat that
you can handle.
Salmonella is one of the most difficult foodborne pathogens to eliminate. Not correctly
dealing with the pathogen is harmful to your company’s reputation and pocketbook.
According to an annual study done by Food Safety News, foodborne illness in the United
States has an annual estimated cost of $77.7 to $152 billion, not including reduced customer
confidence, recall losses, litigation or the cost from public health agencies who respond to the
outbreak (8).
Salmonella itself is a motile, facultative anaerobe bacterium which causes salmonellosis. That
means that Salmonella is a fast-moving bacterium, that can survive with or without oxygen,
and causes Salmonellosis (Salmonella infection). Salmonellosis is the way to describe being
symptomatically infected by Salmonella.
Salmonella was first isolated in 1885 by an assistant to American scientist, Dr. Daniel Salmon.
Since then, scientists have discovered many different variations (~2,500 serotypes) of
Salmonella which can cause infection. The bacteria cause illness for 4 to 7 days. In some cases,
Salmonella can escape from the intestines and enter the bloodstream. Once in the
bloodstream, it infects other body sites causing severe infections. Children under the age of
five, elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to have severe
infections. Research has shown that Salmonella infections are more likely to occur during the
summer months. Therefore extra care must be taken from May thru August to prevent
outbreaks in your facility.
By the Numbers
In 2018 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated:
Salmonella is in raw and undercooked eggs, poultry, meat, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts,
water, and unpasteurized dairy products. To grow, Salmonella colonizes in the intestines of
animals and spreads through feces. Humans can also spread the pathogen. Not washing
hands after a bowel movement followed by direct contact with another person, touching a
surface, or preparing food leads to transmission. If you think not washing your hands is the
only cause, you thought wrong. Water infected with the bacteria can provide an optimum
environment for growth. When contaminated water spreads onto irrigate crops, the final
product delivers the bacteria into the consumers home.
As you can see, Salmonella has a genuine impact on the longevity of a business.
The easiest way to prevent Salmonella in products is by having good manufacturing
practices, washing hands, and testing.
Washing your hands is the easiest way to help prevent the spread of Salmonella. Besides
washing your hands, testing your product for Salmonella is standard practice for most
companies. Both Safe Food Alliance Lab locations have years of experience helping
companies test for Salmonella. With Safe Food Alliance, results are readily available 48 to 72
hours after receipt. If you would like to send in a sample of your commodity for analysis, click
here.
Safe Food Alliance utilizes methods validated by the Association of Official Agricultural
Chemists (AOAC), a group closely linked to the FDA and the USDA. If you receive a positive
result, confirmation steps are taken to provide you with even more confidence that the
samples are accurate. All testing is done according to industry standards.
Another method for detection of Salmonella is testing via swabbing at the facility. Swabbing
ensures that proper sanitation processes are being met and helps avoid cross-contamination.
Environmental swabs also detect the pathogen on the surfaces of machinery, walls, floors, or
anywhere else in your facility. This type of testing needs to be done regularly and at various
locations. So don’t let it slip by! To learn more about getting swabs for testing, please contact
Kyla Ihde at kylai@safefoodalliance.com.
Safe Food Alliance is currently offering an Environmental Monitoring online class which
outlines the swabbing process and guidelines. For more information about the online course,
please visit https://academy.safefoodalliance.com/.
Stakes at All-Time High for Backyard & Commercial Trees in 2019
Detections of Huanglongbing (HLB), an incurable plant disease that kills citrus trees, increased by 160 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, signaling the growing threat to the state’s iconic citrus trees, landscape and economy.
HLB is spread by a small pest called the Asian citrus psyllid as it feeds on citrus tree leaves. The disease is not dangerous to humans or pets, but it is fatal for citrus trees and has no cure. Once a tree is confirmed with the disease, it must be removed from the property in order to protect neighboring citrus trees.
The disease was first discovered in California in 2012 in Hacienda Heights. HLB was detected in 269 trees in 2017 and 699 trees in 2018, with a majority of these occurring in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The disease has not yet been detected in a California commercial grove.
HLB has devastated commercial citrus production in Florida. Over the course of 10 years, Florida’s commercial citrus industry lost $7.8 billion in revenue, 162,200 citrus acres and more than 7,500 jobs due to HLB. Should the disease spread from backyard trees in Southern California to nearby commercial citrus groves, the livelihood of California’s citrus production could impact about 3,900 farmers and 292,000 acres of citrus production in the state. Commercially grown citrus contributes $7 billion in economic impact to the state and employs more than 22,000 individuals.
“The livelihood of California’s commercial citrus industry and the generations of families it supports is at risk because of HLB,” said Jim Gorden, a citrus grower in the San Joaquin Valley and chair of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee. “We are at a crossroads, and we must all work together to do what is necessary to protect our citrus.”
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has established quarantines throughout the state that limit the transport of citrus across state and international lines, and between areas where the psyllid and disease have been found. Additionally, CDFA has agriculture crews canvasing the state to inspect backyard citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB.
“The Department is committed to our partnership with California’s commercial citrus industry and residential citrus growers to fight HLB,” said Victoria Hornbaker, interim director of the citrus program at CDFA. “With more than half of California residences estimated to have a citrus tree on their property, and California citrus production supporting billions of dollars in our state’s economy, we all play an instrumental role in protecting our citrus.”
California residents play an important role in protecting the state’s citrus trees. Residents should: 
More information and photos of Asian citrus psyllids and HLB symptoms are available at CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.
Rodents of unusual size —California has got them! The new kid on the block is Nutria, a semiaquatic rodent, that has invaded California’s waterways, and is doing a lot of damage. USDA is asking farmers for help in locating these pests to be removed. Derek Milsaps from USDA-APHIS presented some information on this pest at the Tree & Vine Expo in Turlock recently. Watch his brief interview from the expo to learn more.
Once confined mostly to the Great Plains of North America, coyotes have spread across much of the continent, and can be a real threat and nuisance to farming communities. Check out this brief interview with USDA Wildlife Specialist Derek Milsaps, as he offers some recommendations on how to identify and deal with these pests.