Human pathogens, harmful chemicals, or foreign objects can contaminate produce anywhere along the supply chain — from farm, to market, to the consumer’s table. Thoroughly cooking produce kills pathogens, but consumers eat many fruits and vegetables without thorough cooking. That’s why it is critical to prevent contamination. Preventing contamination on the farm depends largely on farming and post-harvest practices, not farm size, distribution area, or revenue. Whether a farm is big or small; growing melons, tomatoes, or greens; in a greenhouse or in a field; poor farming and food handling practices can contaminate produce. Implementing good agricultural practices (GAPs) is the best way to protect your customers, your business, and the produce industry as a whole. GAPs are farming practices that focus on preventing contamination of fruits and vegetables on the farm. Taking reasonable steps to prevent a problem in the first place often costs far less money and time and is more effective than trying to fix a problem after it arises. Just as farmers tailor crop production and pest management practices for their particular operations, farmers should tailor GAPs to the specifics of their farms. The following pages highlight some GAPs growers can follow to reduce the risk of contaminating produce on the farm. Growers can prevent contamination at all stages of crop development: before planting, while the crop is growing, during harvest, and after harvest.
Are GAPs the Law? Good agricultural practices (GAPs) are farming practices that aim to prevent fruit and vegetable contamination. Laws and regulations govern some GAPs. Others have not been codified and are meant to provide guidance, recommendations, or industry best practices. The bottom line is that it is against the law to sell “adulterated” food. For fresh fruits and vegetables, adulterated basically means produce that is unhealthy due to contamination. Farms that adopt GAPs reduce their risk of producing adulterated food.
Before