Dive Brief:
- While apples are often considered ahead of the curve in the food industry when it comes to food safety, the fruit segment was rattled last year by a massive recall and its costly subsequent aftermath. The industry now faces another listeria-related recall: Del Monte Fresh Produce announced Wednesday night it is recalling Granny Smith green apples for possible listeria contamination, though there are no reports of illnesses.
- After the Bidart Bros. caramel apple recall led to a recall of two general apple varieties, fallout began for apple producers, especially those who exported their goods to Asia, where many countries had begun refusing U.S. apples or submitting the apples to rigorous testing.
- In addition to the recall, the industry as a whole was dealing with a port slowdown on the West Coast and the Russian ban on U.S. produce, which caused apple prices to fall below the cost of production.
Dive Insight:
A major concern for the apple industry is the cleanliness and safety of the water that touches the fruit during the growing process. A produce-specific FSMA rule will be released soon, which the apple industry will be anticipating as it directly impacts water usage for growing apples.
That includes water being sprinkled on apples to keep them cool and prevent sunburn and the destruction of the pigments that keep apples red. The water must be sampled, and growers are required to take the sample to a testing facility within 24 hours, which can be difficult when testing facilities are located far away. Growers then have to determine whether the level of bacteria is too high to spray the fruit with that water.
But growers and producers also worry about contaminations during the growing and packing processes as well as testing and record-keeping, which will be crucial for abiding by FSMA rules as well.