The Relationship between Environmental Characteristics and Risk Management Practices on Produce Farms: A Systematic Literature Review

Dilhani Nisansala Jayawardhana,Thomas A Yeargin,Loan Thi Thanh Cao,Angela M Fraser,Kristen E Gibson

doi:10.3390/agriculture10120577

Dilhani Nisansala Jayawardhana, Thomas A Yeargin + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120577

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Abstract

Produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks have increased worldwide highlighting the importance of proper implementation of risk management practices (RMP). We determined the relationship between environmental characteristics (i.e., physical resources) of produce farms and implementation of RMP. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses principles, we identified 36 studies to include in our analysis. Most study data were collected through surveys administered to growers in developed countries. Quality assessment results showed that studies on this topic should be more rigorously conducted (e.g., powering sample sizes and training data collectors) to yield better quality evidence. Agricultural waters were the most common environmental characteristic assessed, with many farms using unsafe water sources. Hygiene aids (e.g., accessible handwashing facilities), were lacking across many farms. Animal intrusion RMP were the least commonly assessed environmental characteristic. Only one study tested the relationship between on-farm environmental characteristics and RMP implementation reporting a positive relationship between accessible handwashing and worker hygiene practices. Grower knowledge and perception of RMP combined with cost and ease in carrying out RMP might influence the availability of physical resources for proper RMP implementation. These results can inform practical interventions aimed to increase adoption of RMP on produce farms.

Highlights

Between 2000 and 2013, global per capita annual consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 25% [1]
The full texts of the 110 remaining articles were reviewed, and 74 irrelevant articles were removed based on our eligibility criteria—irrelevant study design (n = 24), irrelevant research area (n = 26), no full text (n = 7), conference abstracts (n = 4), review articles (n = 5), book chapters/reports (n = 2), irrelevant settings (n = 4), and irrelevant outcomes (n = 2)
Given that developing countries are primary exporters of fruits and vegetables, to developed countries, studies need to be conducted in these countries to help us better understand potential contamination risks for imported product that are associated with environmental characteristics [68,69,70]

Summary

Introduction

Between 2000 and 2013, global per capita annual consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 25% [1]. It is anticipated that the number of produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks will likely increase since most produce is eaten raw—a known risk factor for foodborne disease transmission [2]. Between 1998 and 2013, 972 produce-associated outbreaks were reported in the United States, resulting in 34,674 cases of illness and 72 deaths [4]. During this same period, the percentage of outbreaks attributed to produce increased from 8% (1998 to 2001) to 16% (2010 to 2013) [4]. The European Union (2004 to 2012) and Canada (2008 to 2014) reported similar increases in the number of produce-associated outbreaks [5,6]

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