Quantifying, understanding and mitigating microbial and chemical food safety risks in horticulture

Background:

Government public health campaigns, increased consumer awareness of healthy eating and dietary shifts are driving demand for plant-based foods. This provides a valuable opportunity for expansion and diversification within the Irish horticulture sector. This must, however, be underpinned by robust food safety assurance. Globally, it has been observed that there has been an increase in foodborne diseases associated with these products, particularly as many are consumed without cooking. Appropriate hygiene measures at all stages of production are therefore critical. As part of HortAssure on farm surveillance studies and lab-based challenge studies will support the identification of areas and crops most at risk of microbial contamination. Lab and field-based studies will assess the efficacy of various interventions to minimise microbial risks throughout the production chain, with concomitant analysis of the impact of packaging minimisation on product safety and quality.

In parallel, chlorates and perchlorates pose a further challenge for the horticulture sector, as these may accumulate in the crops as by-products from the usage of chlorinated water and chlorine containing disinfectants, which are used extensively in horticulture to minimise microbial contamination. A careful balance is therefore required to provide assurance of microbial safety without breaching chlorate maximum residue limits which may be imposed. Methods will be developed to monitor baseline chlorate levels in a range of horticultural crops, as well as the impact of removing chlorine containing agents from the production system.

These studies will ultimately be utilised to develop a risk assessment model of human exposure to microbial and chemical hazards from horticultural crops, providing science-based guidance to regulators and growers alike, to improve on-farm practices for the overall betterment of the Irish horticultural sector.

Project objective:

The overall objective of HortAssure is to support the horticulture industry in mitigating risks associated with microbiological and chemical contamination, through the provision of evidence-based knowledge regarding the sources of contamination and the provision of validated technologies and alternatives to mitigate the risks in a sustainable, affordable manner. The role of water as a contamination vector will be a particular focus of the project. A scenario of packaging reduction will be also tested, in line with sustainability requirements in the industry.

Project outputs:

• Inoculum dynamics and leaf surface variability as key variables of Listeria monocytogenes growth on fresh produce
• Recent advances in examining the factors influencing the efficacy of biocides against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms in the food industry: A systematic review
• Assessing baby leaf kale (Brassica oleracea) waste production mitigation in the transition to sustainable packaging with the application of silicon through an integrative model of quality
• Impact of silicon-enriched plant biostimulant treatment on shelf-life of baby spinach (Spinacia oleracea) crops
• Microbial risks associated with Ready-To-Eat Fresh Produce (RTEFP) – A focus on temperate climatic conditions
• Risk ranking of microbial hazards from consumption of ready-to-eat fresh produce (RTEFP)
• Qualitative decision support tool for evaluating potential microbial hazards for ready-to-eat fresh produce (RTEFP)

Project funding:

This project (2019R424) is funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine.
For further information please contact kaye.burgess@teagasc.ie

Project partners:

• Teagasc
• Technological University Dublin
• University College Dublin