Assessing Physical Attributes Associated with Implementation of Risk Management Practices among Small Strawberry Farms

Abstract

Fresh strawberries are susceptible to contamination with foodborne pathogens, illustrating the importance of on-farm risk management practices (RMP). Understanding context is necessary for successful implementation of RMP, highlighting the importance of characterizing physical attributes (PA) associated with RMP. We determined the PA associated with implementation of eight RMP on 20 small (≤ 2 acres; 8,094 m2) strawberry farms in the southeastern United States. Descriptive statistics were performed to determine frequency of PA across farms. PA scores, presence or absence of observed PA expressed as a percentage, were calculated for each of the eight RMP. All 20 (100%) farms used plasticulture to grow strawberries. All (100%) used drip irrigation systems, and 19 (95%) had an adequate number of bathrooms and handwashing stations. Nearly all (95%) did not have a body fluid spill kit. Sixteen (80%) farms used groundwater or surface water for irrigation, with five (31%) treating the water and eight (50%) testing the microbiological quality of irrigation water. PA scores ranged from 55 to 90%, with the highest (90%) for animal control and the lowest (55%) for food safety signage. These findings can inform strawberry-specific safety interventions aimed to increase RMP implementation. More broadly, this represents another approach to informing commodity-specific training needs.