Evidence for the efficacy of pre-harvest agricultural practices in mitigating food-safety risks to fresh produce in North America

Authors: DEVARAJAN, NARESH - University Of California; WELLER, DANIEL - University Of Rochester; JONES, MATTHEW - Cascade Agroecology; ADELL, A - Universidad Andres Bello (UNAB); ADHIKARI, ACHYUT - Louisiana State University; ALLENDE, ANA - Spanish National Research Council; ARNOLD, NICOLE - The Ohio State University; BAUR, PATRICK - University Of Rhode Island; BENO, SARAH - Birmingham-Southern College; CLEMENTS, DONNA - Cornell University; OLIMPI, ELISSA - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University; CRITZER, FAITH - University Of Georgia; GREEN, HYATT - State University Of New York (SUNY); Gorski, Lisa; GRUBER, ANGELA - The Acheson Group; KOVAC, JASNA - Pennsylvania State University; McGarvey, Jeffery - Jeff; MURPHY, CLAIRE - Virginia Tech; MURPHY, SARAH - Cornell University; NAVARRO-GONZALEZ, NORA - Inrae; OWEN, JEB - Washington State University; PIRES, ALDA - University Of California, Davis; RICHARD, NICOLE - University Of California, Davis; SAMADDAR, SANDIPAN - University Of California, Davis; SCHMIDT, RADOMIR - University Of California, Davis; SCOW, KATE - University Of California, Davis; SHARIAT, NIKKI - University Of Georgia; SMITH, OLIVIA - Michigan State University; SPENCE, AUSTIN - University Of California, Davis; STOECKEL, DON - Cornell University; TRAN, THAO - University Of California, Davis; WALL, GRETCHEN - International Fresh Produce Association; KARP, DANIEL - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2023
Publication Date: 5/5/2023
Citation: Devarajan, N., Weller, D., Jones, M., Adell, A., Adhikari, A., Allende, A., Arnold, N., Baur, P., Beno, S., Clements, D., Olimpi, E., Critzer, F., Green, H., Gorski, L.A., Gruber, A., Kovac, J., McGarvey, J.A., Murphy, C., Murphy, S., Navarro-Gonzalez, N., Owen, J., Pires, A., Richard, N., Samaddar, S., Schmidt, R., Scow, K., Shariat, N., Smith, O., Spence, A., Stoeckel, D., Tran, T., Wall, G., Karp, D. 2023. Evidence for the efficacy of pre-harvest agricultural practices in mitigating food-safety risks to fresh produce in North America. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 7. Article 1101435. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1101435.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1101435

Interpretive Summary: Consumption of produce that contains pathogenic bacteria remains a leading cause of foodborne illness. Increasingly, growers are altering agricultural practices and farm environments to manage food-safety hazards, but these changes often result in substantial economic, social, and environmental costs. Here, we present a comprehensive evidence synthesis evaluating the efficacy of soil, non-crop vegetation, animal, landscape, and irrigation water management strategies aimed at reducing the produce-safety risk in North America. This manuscript presents new information, gathered from a 30-member expert panel, who evaluated the impact of on farm practices on food safety outcomes. The panel identified several practices that were associated with reduced preharvest food-safety risks, including not using raw manure, separating crop and livestock production, and choosing low-risk irrigation sources. The panel also identified practices that appear ineffective at reducing food-safety risks, such as the removal of non-crop vegetation. Overall, these findings provide insights into the food-safety impacts of agricultural and land management practices that growers, auditors, and extension personnel can use to co-manage produce preharvest environments for food safety and other aims.

Technical Abstract: Consumption of contaminated produce remains a leading cause of foodborne illness. Increasingly, growers are altering agricultural practices and farm environments to manage food-safety hazards, but these changes often result in substantial economic, social, and environmental costs. Here, we present a comprehensive evidence synthesis evaluating the efficacy of soil, non-crop vegetation, animal, landscape, and irrigation water management strategies aimed at reducing the produce-safety risk in North America. Briefly, we systematically summarized findings from 78 peer-reviewed papers on the effect of 21 management practices on the prevalence, abundance, or survival of four foodborne pathogens (i.e., E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter), resulting in 113 summaries. We then organized a 30-member expert panel, who used these summaries to evaluate the impact of each practice on food-safety outcomes. While more than half of the practices were too understudied to confidently evaluate their impact on food safety, the panel did identify several practices that were associated with reduced preharvest food-safety risks, including not using raw manure, separating crop and livestock production, and choosing low-risk irrigation sources. The panel also identified practices that appear ineffective at reducing food-safety risks, such as the removal of non-crop vegetation. Overall, these findings provide insights into the food-safety impacts of agricultural and land management practices that growers, auditors, and extension personnel can use to co-manage produce preharvest environments for food safety and other aims.