From Farm to Fork: Ranking Food Safety Priorities in the Fresh Produce Industry

Mar 4, 2024 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time)

Webinar Description

Organized by: IAFP's: Fruit and Vegetable Safety and Quality PDG

A broad understanding of food safety priorities in the fresh produce supply chain is essential to improve food safety knowledge and practices effectively and efficiently throughout the fresh produce industry. The goal of this study was to identify and rank community produce safety priorities in the United States. Survey questions were designed and approved by food safety experts for participants to rank 24 fresh produce safety priorities. The anonymous survey was distributed online via Qualtrics™ to fresh produce community members from November 2020 to May 2021. A total of 281 respondents represented fourteen different roles in the fresh produce industry, with most identified as growers (39.5%). These findings provide insight into community member priorities in fresh produce safety and can be used to inform intervention efforts, ranging from specialized training for produce growers and packers, industry-driven research projects, and gaps in risk communication strategies.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the food safety priorities of fresh produce commodity members.
2. Identify emerging concerns in the fresh produce supply chain landscape.