rockmelon food safety- the way forward · melon growers/ packers whole-of-chain approach, national...

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Rockmelon Food Safety-

the Way Forward

S.P. Singh, PhD

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Central Coast Primary Industries Centre

Ourimbah, NSW

E: sp.singh@dpi.nsw.gov.au

T: 02 4348 1935; M: 0420 593 129

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Australian Melon Industry

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Rockmelon food safety - a challenge

• Proximity to ground

• Netted rough skin

• Hard-to-sanitise

• Consumed raw

• Low acid flesh

• 2018 Listeria outbreak in Australia

• 2018 Salmonella outbreak in USA

• 2016 Salmonella outbreak in Australia

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NSW DPI’s

Horticultural Food Safety

Research Program

Mitigate food safety risks

• Scientific evidence-based

• Preventative

• Industry-focused

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NSW DPI’s Safe Melons Initiative (2014-)

Safe Melons

Funding$$

Research

Peak Industry Body

Regulators

Supermarket retailers

Melon growers/packers

Whole-of-chain approach, national scope

(2018-)

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Food Safety Training, Extension and Capacity for

the Melon Industry (VM17002 )

June 2018 to April 2019

Current Melon R&D Project

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Food Safety Training, Extension and Capacity for

the Melon Industry (VM17002 )

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“………..growing rockmelons for over 50 years, no Listeria ever”

“……….. growing for over 20 years, we had no problems”

“…growing melons for two generations, our systems are perfect”

Food safety (Listeria ) perspective

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Courtesy: Prof Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University, USA

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What has changed recently?

Improved diagnostics

Enhanced surveillance

Excellent traceability

Whole genome sequencing

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• Review food safety systems

• Identify critical control points in processing

• Assist in verification of food safety practices

• Train key staff in food safety

One-on-one consultation with growers and packers

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Invitation to participate in the project

• SE Qld: Sep-Oct

• NSW & Vic (Riverina & Sunraysia): Nov-Dec

• SA Riverland: Dec

• Southern WA: Dec-Jan

One-on-one consultation with growers and packers

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Best Practice Guide

• Develop and implement a Best Practice Guide

• Baseline data and information from consultation

• Peer-review and comments from stakeholders

including researchers, industry and regulators

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Key learnings from the project so far

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Harvest

bins

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Hot spots for contamination

Postharvest precooling

• Porous skin- Infiltration of wash water

• Higher difference in fruit temperature and

wash water temperature aggravates the

risk

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Dump tank

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Re-circulated

wash water

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Postharvest washing

• Sanitiser concentration

• Difference in target vs. actual concentrations

• -50 ppm to +40 ppm

• Contact time between sanitiser and fruit

• 25 sec to 120 sec

• Dosing & monitoring

• Manual

• Automatic

Hot spots for cross-contamination

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Brushes

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Drying tunnel and curtain

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Conveyor belts

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Conveyor belts

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Conveyor belts

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Grading

cups

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Packing

tables

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Porous

surface

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Cracks

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Hot spots for cross contamination

Cool

room

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Key issues

• Packinghouse

hygiene

• Dust control

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Loading Zone

Tea Room

Sit

e O

ffic

e

Grading

Machin

e

QA Area

Cool Rooms

Melon

Grader

Environmental monitoring- potential pathogen harbourage sites

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Microbiological survey

• Fruit and environmental samples collected

during on-site visits to rockmelon growers

• RT-PCR assay for Salmonella species and

Listeria monocytogenes

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Rockmelon food safety-the way forward

• Preventative approach

• Continuous improvement

• Automation and digitisation

• “Embrace the Change”

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Being either insane or part of change?

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Acknowledgements

• Melon growers & packers

• State health regulators, Supermarkets

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NSW DPI’s Project Team

• Amanda Warren-Smith

• Andrew Creek

• Andrew Watson

• Craig Shadbolt

• Kasia Strojny

• Miranda Christopher

• Stela Gkountina

• Zabrina Khan

Acknowledgements

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Technical Enquiries

t: 02 4348 1935

e: sp.singh@dpi.nsw.gov.au

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