MAJOR Mildura players in the citrus industry – including the Costa Group and Mildura Fruit Company – have played a key role in a project to examine microbial food safety risks along the citrus supply chain and develop management strategies.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries project was aimed at mitigating microbial food safety risks associated with the production, post-harvest handling and supply of citrus to consumers in domestic and export markets.
Dr Sukhvinder Pal Singh, a senior research scientist with the NSW DPI, told North West Farmer the success of Australia’s citrus export industry hinges on several key factors.
He said this included free trade agreements with importing nations and a reputation for delivering clean, green and safe citrus products to global markets.
Dr Singh said to maintain the competitiveness and safeguard Sunraysia’s market share, it was imperative to consistently supply safe fruit and strive for zero product recalls.
He said while citrus fruit inherently poses a relatively low microbial food safety risk to consumers due to its inedible peel, the detection of pathogens on the fruit surface by regulatory bodies could have significant repercussions, including product recalls, damage to reputation and jeopardising trade relationships with export markets.
“This project has delivered a national snapshot of the industry’s current food safety practices and identified potential gaps to be addressed,” Dr Singh said.
“And we were able to achieve that by working with people such as the Costa Group and MFC, with a whole-of-chain approach to identify potential hotspots for microbial contamination and cross-contamination along the supply chain.
“Each link within the supply chain was examined, starting with field production and post-harvest processing through to retail, by collecting fruit and environmental samples (2257) to detect the target foodborne bacterial pathogens (listeria monocytogenes, salmonella species and pathogenic escherichia coli).
“Associating industry practice with microbial risk mapping proved to be an effective strategy towards microbial risk identification and development of targeted interventions to manage these risks.”
Dr Singh said the project achieved remarkable success in engaging more than 50 citrus packers throughout Australia, representing a substantial network of more than 750 major growers.
He said through microbial mapping analysis along the supply chain, it was revealed that listeria monocytogenes emerged as the primary environmental pathogen of concern, with salmonella and pathogenic E coli posing minor risks.
Insights derived from the prevalence and distribution data also indicated listeria monocytogenes was present in citrus orchard soils, which could lead to the potential contamination of fruit on trees through dust storms.
This pathogen is ubiquitously present in soil and natural environment, and can be transferred to fresh produce during production and post-harvest processing.
“The whole genome sequencing of listeria isolates confirmed harvested fruit could serve as the primary carrier of the pathogen from the field into packing facilities,” Dr Singh said.
“The pathogen could establish itself in the post-harvest processing equipment and premises, including harvest bins, conveyor belts, brushes, and eventually could reach cool rooms via forklifts and workers’ movements.
“To uphold consumer confidence, satisfy regulatory requirements and ensure continued market access and expansion, it is essential for the citrus industry to adopt proactive measures in managing fruit quality and safety.
“The industry has robust microbial food safety preventative controls during both production and post-harvest handling operations. However, continuous improvement and change of some practices were recommended during fruit production, harvest and postharvest operations.”
New guide now out
BASED on the current industry practice, microbial risk mapping and available scientific literature, best-practice guidance was developed as a technical resource to achieve the microbial risk management objectives.
The Citrus Microbial Food Safety best-practice guide offers expert advice and recommendations on best practices for fruit production, harvest techniques and post-harvest handling, enabling the industry to effectively mitigate the risk of microbial pathogens.
This comprehensive guide is designed to serve as a practical and targeted resource for citrus growers, packers and all stakeholders involved in the citrus supply chain, offering invaluable insights into the assessment and management of microbial food safety risks.
The guide is now available for download on the NSW DPI website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/food-safety.
Further details from Dr Sukhvinder Pal Singh at sp.singh@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 0420 593 129.
