CFA Extreme Weather Protocol Guidance for RTE Fresh Produce

 CFA Extreme Weather Protocol Guidance for RTE Fresh Produce

This document, which has been trialled this summer by CFA Members, addresses issues posed by the extreme weather events which are increasing in frequency. Such weather can disrupt supply of fresh ready to eat produce (such as lettuce, baby leaf, spinach, herbs, salad onions), affecting its availability, supply and quality, and increasing the risk of microbial contamination.

Both informative and practical, the guidance outlines procedures that can be followed, such as growers setting critical limits to trigger documented actions in response to extreme weather events. Monitoring of rainfall, for example, must be used to trigger additional controls post-extreme weather, when crops may be heavily soiled or sitting in standing water that may contain run-off from fields of livestock.

Dry periods demand increased frequency of microbiological testing and visual monitoring of water sources and storage facilities when water levels are low after prolonged dry periods.

As well as best practice examples, the guidance also has a sample risk assessment and lists of hazard microorganisms and common control failures.

PDM is one of the CFA members trialling the guidance. Its Technical Director Tariq Shaikh said: “Extreme weather conditions are becoming more regular, and working with outdoor grown crops presents a real risk. The guidance is designed to bring a consistent approach which I believe it delivers in a practical way.

“This year at PDM we have focused heavily on setting triggers for extreme weather events, specifically around temperature and rainfall. The guidance really helped to identify the key triggers for our business. This has resulted in quarterly reviews of raw material risk assessments and increased visual assessment and micro testing when the trigger points have been reached. The increased sampling brings an awareness to all teams and the confidence in knowing that the controls that we have in place are working.”

This is a free digital download.

Photo credit: Roger Bradshaw on UnSplash