Good Agricultural Practices Educational Resources

Self Audit Resources

These resources are provided during the GAP Training Class and are available here for your convenience.

Good Agricultural Practices Self Audit workbook (UC Davis) (pdf)                                                                                                              Accompanying Worksheets (doc)

Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks (Cornell University) (pdf)

General Information

Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables                                                             U.S. Department of Health and Human Services                                                                                                                    Food and Drug Administration                                                                                                                                          Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)                                                                                                    October, 1998

Reduce Microbial Contamination with Good Agricultural Practices (pdf)                                                                          Pamphlet with basic information on GAP best practices from Cornell University


Key Points of Control and Management of Microbial Food Safety for Growers, Packers, and Handlers of Fresh-Consumed Horticultural Products   (pdf)
         Pamphlet with basic information on GAP University of California - Davis

University of California - Davis Vegetable Information Research GAP Resource Page


Product Specific Publications (all publications are .pdf)

Tomatoes                                                                                                                                                 Peaches                                                                                                                                                     Melons                                                                                                                                                        Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Root Crops                                                                                                     Berries                                                                                                                                                       Cabbage and Leafy Greens                                                                                                                        Cucumbers, Eggplant, Squash, Peppers and Sweet Corn                                                                           Green Beans and Peas

 

Third Party Audit Resources

KDA is offering a cost share program.  This application (Word format) application (pdf) lets us know if you are interested in GAP information.  Producers are more than welcome to send it in even if they aren't certain they will be seeking certification this year, but merely want to be included on our mailing list for GAP information.  All wholesale produce operations should be examining their production practices in regards to GAP.

Review of Specific Standards

With there being no federal or state GAP regulations there is sometimes difficulty on what exact standards should be met.  This Chart http://www.producesafetyproject.org/admin/assets/files/0027.pdf summarizes the guidelines published by a number of varying entities.  This should give producers an idea of some specific standards that are in use in the industry. 

The Appendix http://www.producesafetyproject.org/admin/assets/files/0026.pdf expands the information in the chart, and the accompanying Narrative http://www.producesafetyproject.org/admin/assets/files/0029.pdf  offers background information.  Consult with your auditor on what specifc standards apply.

Farm Safety Manual

Once you have completed the GAP training and reviewed your farm operation the next step is to create a Farm Safety Manual.  This manual explains your farm operation in detail and is utilized by the farmer and the auditor.  No two manuals will be alike as every farm operation is different. 

USDA Sample Farm Safety Manual (pdf)

Michigan State University created a manual for their producers to utilize to complete their Farm Safety Manuals. The 2010 version can be accessed here http://www.maes.msu.edu/nwmihort/msu_GAP_Manual_2010.pdf or as an editable Word document http://www.maes.msu.edu/nwmihort/msu_GAP_Manual_2010.doc .  For growers who used the previously available 2009 version here is the list of changes for 2010 http://www.maes.msu.edu/nwmihort/Changes%20to%20the%202009%20USDA%20GAP%20Manual%20for%202010.pdf

University of Minnesota also created a similar resource for growers: FSP4U - A Food Safety Plan for You available from http://safety.cfans.umn.edu/pdfs/FSP4U.pdf or as an editable Word document http://safety.cfans.umn.edu/FSP4Utemplates.html

The Standard Operating Procedures as shown in the sample Farm Safety Plan, referenced above, can be accomplished online by utilizing a resource created by Primus Labs.  Primus Labs, a third party auditor, has available on their website a “Food Safety Manual Development Program“ free of charge that helps producers write the food safety manual. Interested producers should contact Adam Watson (contact info bottom of page) for more information on this resource. 

An additional resource is from Penn State is a farm safety plan template http://foodsafety.psu.edu/gaps/PSU_USDA_GAPs_Plan_2009.pdf  and a GAP manual for growers http://foodsafety.psu.edu/gaps/psu_usda_gaps_1.3_2007.pdf.

North Carolina State University has developed an excellent resource for constructing a manual in Word and in pdf http://tinyurl.com/farmsafetytemplate-in-word http://tinyurl.com/farmsafetytemplate-in-pdf

They also publish the NC Fresh Produce Safety Blog that would be of interest to most growers http://ncfreshproducesafety.wordpress.com/

Auditor Specifc Checklists and Guidelines 

The completed manual should address the areas that are scored by an auditor.  As a producer creates the farm manual they should refernce the checklists or guidelines of their specific auditor; each auditor currently creates their own standards.

Primus has their checklists and guidelines available here: http://www.primuslabs.com/rs/documents.aspx   

NSF-Agriculture {formerly NSF-Davis Fresh} has their audit criteria and documents available here: http://www.nsf.org/business/nsf_agriculture/documents_form.asp?program=NSFAgr

USDA has its checklist available here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5091326

Other auditing companies exist and they can provide the specifc guidelines, checklists, and criteria.

Signage

One component of GAP is the need to post signs relating to hygiene, first aid, etc.  These items can be purchased, but there are also numerous free resources available, or you can make your own.

New Mexico State University has available for download a PowerPoint Presentation with numerous signs that can be printed http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/foodtech/documents/gaps-signs-1.ppt.  If you don’t have PowerPoint you may want to try downloading PowerPoint viewer free from Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=048dc840-14e1-467d-8dca-19d2a8fd7485&displaylang=en

English/Spanish how to hand washing poster http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/HndWshC.pdf (color), http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/HndWshBW.pdf (black & white)

Record keeping

Farmers face the task of keeping adequate records to show that they are following the practices they established in their farm safety manual. To that end, there are examples of record sheets in the Michigan State, and University of Minnesota resources; there are additional examples online.  Growers may also create their own records templates to use in their operation just be certain to include a sample in the farm safety manual.

Sample record keeping sheets from Cornell University, http://www.gaps.cornell.edu/rks.html, for worker training, field sanitation unit service, processing/packing water, water treatment, pest/rodent control, cooler temp, truck checklist, illness/injury reporting, first aid kit monitoring, manure applications, surface water testing, mock traceback and visitors..

Employee Training

Good Worker Health and Hygiene Practices: Training Manual for Produce Handlers ttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY74300.pdf                                                                                                            Intended for use by growers in designing trainings for their employees in handling fresh produce. Includes suggestions for points to stress in training and what growers can do to help their employees stay safe and hygienic.

Translation

If there is a need to translate any materials, resources are available through the KDA.

Other Resources

Cornell has numerous GAP materials for sale including training DVDs, signs, and other resources. http://www.gaps.cornell.edu/educationalmaterials.html

For more information, or questions, please contact:

Adam Watson
Produce Marketing Specialist
100 Fair Oaks, 5th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601 
Office (502) 564-4983 ext. 281
Cell (502) 229-0954