Flooded fields

What a storm last night! We got a lot of rain in Coshocton County in the last 12 hours. Anyone with produce may be wondering if it is safe to harvest vegetables (primarily leafy greens) that are in flooded fields. Please read this Fact Sheet from OSU Extension Produce Safety and Flooded Fields.

If the water that has flooded the field is from the flooding of a water source like a river or stream, then the vegetables should not be consumed. This is considered high risk, because there is no way to know what contamination could have been introduced into the field with that water. However, if the flooding is due to ponding, just too much rain on saturated soil, and no edible portion has contacted the water, then vegetables could be harvested. This is considered lower risk, but still requires a thorough risk assessment.

The Fact Sheet will walk you through a risk assessment to determine recommended actions.

Rice in the News

I heard a segment on NPR this morning about food safety when it comes to rice. Any time I hear something about food safety in the news - especially when a particular agriculture commodity is called out - I immediately do my homework.

Consumer reports is encouraging the FDA to consider federal standards on maximum arsenic content in rice. Though there are standards on maximum levels of arsenic in drinking water, there are not standards for foods.

So how is arsenic getting into rice? Inorganic arsenic is found in soil & water in very low levels and is therefore naturally occurring in plants. Because of the way that rice is grown, by flooding fields with large amounts of water, this makes for a unique situation that may allow rice to absorb more arsenic than other grains that we eat.

PHOTO: Texas Department of Agriculture, Rice Harvest, Fort Bend County

Click here to read or listen to the Story from NPR


Here also is a excerpt from an article by MARY CLARE JALONICK of the Associated Press

"Scientists have known for decades that arsenic is present in rice, but the issue has renewed interest as consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and technology has advanced to the point that inorganic and organic arsenic can be measured separately...  Professor Jaymie R. Meliker of Stony Brook University, who has studied the effects of arsenic, says it's all a matter of moderation. "In general, in life, you shouldn't stand out in the sun eight hours a day," he said. "You shouldn't eat rice exclusively every meal. You should introduce variety in your diet because there are contaminants in everything. Nothing is completely safe."'

Bottom line - eat a variety of foods. There is not enough data yet to determine if these levels should be of concern. FDA has tested about 200 of 1200 samples. When they gather all the data from testing, then a plan of action will be developed.

Also, this is one more example of a time when pesticide residues are named as a potential for food safety risk. As farmers, we need to continue to do everything right when applying pesticides to reduce risks to the food supply.

Right Source

Right Rate

Right Time

Right Place

Information about the 4R's

Good Agricultural Practices

One role of OSU Extension is to help producers get their products to retail outlets and to consumer tables efficiently, safely and cost-effectively. And an important part of that effort is to ensure that producers are aware of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that was signed into law in January 2011. This is an area that produce farmers especially need to know.

FSMA was created to ensure that more attention is focused on prevention of contamination and minimizing risk starting on the farm. According to the FDA, each year 1 out of every 6 Americans experiences foodbourne illness. Microbial contamination of food can occur at many points along the way from harvest to the time it is consumed.

It is especially important to consider food safety with fresh fruits and vegetables that will be eaten without cooking or heating in any way to kill microorganisms. Good Agricultural Practices(GAPs) are guidelines to ensure that fresh produce is handled in ways to prevent microbial contamination during growing, harvesting, sorting, packaging and storage. To learn more about GAP training opportunities or audit preparation, please click above or contact me at the Extension office at 622-2265.

Though we may not all be producers, we are all consumers, so it is important to correctly handle and prepare all foods. For any food safety questions, please visit Ohio State Food Safety or call the Ohio State Food Safety Info Line at 1-800-752-2751.