Professional Documents
Culture Documents
More Green Beans and Peas may be needed. Belt conveyors and other
equipment can be spot-sprayed with a 100
ppm chlorine solution. Boots, gloves,
system.
Temperature control
Good Agricultural Practices
smocks, and aprons should be cleaned or
replaced as needed.
Maintaining proper holdingroom tempera-
ture will promote product quality and
for the
Production and Handling
reduce microbial growth. Temperature
Pest control should be monitored in order to ensure
Southeastern
Regional Program
A pest control program will minimize risk of established product temperature param-
of Green Beans
contamination by rodents or other animals. eters.
In an open or exposed packinghouse
operation, the best control is constant Shipping
vigilance and elimination of any discovered
and Peas
animals and their potential nesting loca- Vehicles
tions. Product and/or product remnants will Trucks must be inspected for sanitary
attract pests; therefore, the daily cleaning of condition and optimum transit temperature
the packing house to eliminate the attrac- before being loaded with produce. Check
tive food source should help reduce pests. for visible cleanliness, odors, dirt, and/or Sponsored by:
other debris prior to loading. Any truck
Facility sanitation showing these conditions should be re- USDA-CSREES
jected. Check for pest infestation, physical National Integrated Food Safety Initiative
Packinghouse facilities have the potential
condition, and the presence of a properly Project Number 00-51110-9722
for developing microbial growth on walls,
tunnels, ceilings, floors, doors, and drains. aligned air chute before loading. Make sure Southern Regional Fresh Produce Food Safety Training Program
Scheduled washdown and/or sanitizing of a Ryan temperature recorder is present to
Edited by:
the facility will reduce the potential for monitor cold temperature during transit.
microbial growth. The cooling system Never load produce into a warm truck. Dennis J. Osborne, Extension Associate, Horticultural Science Department
should be monitored and cleaned as Douglas C. Sanders, Extension Horticulture Specialist, Horticultural Science Department
Donn R. Ward, Associate Department Head, Food Science
Published by
NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SER
NORTH VICE
SERVICE
Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are
offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North
Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Land-use history Harvesting and Handling in the top of the plant away from the Employee hygiene
ground. Irrigation should be employed when
Good employee hygiene is critical in reduc-
Grazing animals on or near crop land can Picking necessary so that the plants elongate and
ing contamination by workers. Employee
introduce bacteria harmful to humans into Hand-harvesting may lead to pathogen raise the crop away from the soil. When
training, health screening, and constant
the soil. Growers should ensure that land contamination if field workers practice poor plants are stunted, green beans touch the
monitoring of packinghouse sanitation
has not been used for animal husbandry hygiene. Field crews must be trained and ground, and rotten ends are the result.
practices (hand washing, personal hygiene)
during the current growing season and that monitored for personal hygiene, and por- Pesticide application should be adjusted
are important. All grading line personnel
it is not close to either animal feedlots or table bathrooms and hand-washing facilities based on the diseases and or insects
should wear gloves.
water runoff from grazing lands. Previous must be provided in the field and must be present. Once the crop leaves the field, it is
improper use of pesticides can result in maintained. too late to control insect or disease losses.
Packinghouse equipment
hazardous residues on raw products.
Packinghouse equipment should always be
Field containers Postharvest Handling maintained in clean condition. The rem-
Fertilizer use Precooling and storage
Harvest containers should be nontoxic, easy nants of product left on belts, tables, lines,
Incompletely composted organic fertilizers to clean, and free of extraneous materials Once harvested, green beans can be and conveyors could provide a food source
may contain bacteria harmful to humans (e.g., nails, wood splinters, etc.). They must hydrocooled to remove field heat. Both for microbial growth; thus standard cleaning
from animal or human feces. If organic be approved by the U.S. Department of green beans and peas can be room-cooled. procedures should include scrubbing to
fertilizers are used, they must be certified as Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Both are also susceptible to chilling injury. remove particles.
completely composted. Inorganic fertilizers Administration (FDA) for field use. After
originate from nontoxic, synthetic chemi-