Supermarkets force up salad growers’ costs

Retail demand for ultra-safe foods is forcing salad crop and soft fruit growers to pay closer attention to irrigation water quality and forcing up production costs, according to The Scotsman.

[i][/i]Research shows that the vast majority of infectious, intestinal diseases are due to poor catering hygiene, with outbreaks attributed directly to salad, fruit and vegetables only in single figures each year.
But with the food safety legislation accent on proving “due diligence”, fear of litigation is increasing the pressure on water quality down the food chain.
Ian Gillott, technical co-ordinator with the British Leafy Salads Association, said “eternal vigilance” is needed. “It is important that growers test for E coli at least three or four times during the growing season, possibly even monthly,” he said.
The Horticultural Development Council and the UK Irrigation Association are publicising the issue and have published a DVD of advice on how to avoid microbial contamination as well organised a series of seminars on risk assessment – even though no disease outbreak has ever been linked directly to crops.