A research project supported by the Center for Produce Safety aims to shed light on pathogen risks in controlled environment agriculture.
Ana Allende, with the CEBAS-CSIC in Spain, is leading a project to provide the industry with science-based information from which it can develop risk-reduction and sanitation programs, according to a news release.
“This project should bring some new data never before provided,” Allende said in the release. “It has a focus on analysis of the risk factors and sampling points. It will give information on how the industry should move on testing, understanding the results, and in case it’s needed, control measures.”
Though Allende and her team are conducting research with three collaborating facilities in Spain, the resulting data and recommendations should apply to other sites in Europe and the U.S, she said. Their work is focused on leafy greens, but the information could be relevant to other crops, such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers grown in protected environments, according to the release.
Joining Allende in the project titled “Occurrence and transfer of pathogens from the production environment to leafy greens grown in controlled environment agriculture” are co-principal investigators Mabel Gil and Pilar Truchado, both with the CEBAS-CSIC, the release said.
Researchers are examining potential pathogen risks from Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella to analyze risk factors and sampling points and provide data the industry can use to develop control measures.
As part of the CPS-funded study, the researchers plan to sample three different CEA facilities during the spring, fall and winter growing seasons to determine whether different production practices and seasonality affect pathogen levels, the release said.
The researchers have completed two rounds of sampling and have only found a few positive samples of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, the release said. They plan to conduct a third sampling round later this winter.
“Up to now, we were not shocked — but surprised more so — about what we were finding,” Allende said in the release. “It was lower than what we would have expected, which is good news for the companies.”
More information about the project can be found at the Center for Produce Safety Research Symposium website and an online list of CPS-funded projects.
