Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/662797
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower APRIL 15, 2016 19 three of the four facilities that use PAA had positive total coliform samples. PAA levels among the four facilities ranged between zero and 120 parts per million during the sampling periods. For tanks with chlorine as the sanitizer, 19 percent of the samples were positive for total coliform, and 17 percent were positive for generic E. coli. Two of the four facilities that use chlorine had total coliform-positive samples. Free chlorine levels ranged from 0.02 parts per million to 96 parts per million. Unlike PAA, the FDA has not set limits for chlorine. Researchers also found that the oxidation/reduction potential (ORP), which is an indicator of how much active chlorine is in the system to control microbes, was the only predictor found to be significantly correlated to total coliform detection in tanks with chlorine. As ORP increased, total coliform concentration decreased. Chlorine concentration was not found to be a significant predictor for total coliform concentration. However, ORP was not a good predictor of generic E. coli when using chlorine, Wetherington said. "You've got a number of things to consider when you're looking at how effective your dump tank preventive controls are and measuring ORP when using chlorine is just one vari- able in the equation. Since each facility is unique, estab- lishing and monitoring sanitizer effectiveness requires companies to examine their individual operations and determine the appropriate preventive controls and mon- itoring program." The findings were reversed for PAA tanks: The concentration of PAA, ORP, pH, temperature and con- ductivity were collectively significant predictors for total coliform, the study showed. But only ORP was a good predictor of generic E. coli. Keys to success All five companies reported having food safety plans. However, in response to a question of whether the dump tank was considered a critical control point in their plans, one company responded yes, one company responded no, and the other three did not answer the question. The research findings reflected some key areas of focus for packing houses going forward, iDecision- Sciences researcher Susan Leaman said, including moni- toring for debris levels in the tanks and training programs for employees. "Companies need to establish some way to determine if their training is effective," she said. "Have people in charge of certain preventive controls take those mea- surements and make sure they're doing it right. Have employees explain what they're doing — and why. Those kinds of checks are critical, and I'm not sure they're happening." Leaman and Wetherington also noted the need for regular monitoring throughout the day, because workers in repetitive jobs can get bored by their work or perform it by rote, forgetting the importance of why they're doing it. "For those who are going to fall under the Preventive Controls Rule, this is a good example of what the FDA is looking for in terms of process validation studies," Leaman said. • ORSat™ is a custom designed satellite communication network and service for managing, operation and monitoring of wind machines. ORSat™ allows growers to monitor and control wind machines, fuel tanks, and weather stations with just a few simple steps, via an Internet enabled device, and is the only solution available that integrates with the Orchard-Rite® Auto-Start. The overall goal of the ORSat™ system is to partner with growers to make frost protection more effi cient, economical & eff ective than ever before. We operate 14 wind machines on 325 acres of apples and cherries spread out over 3 miles. In the past it was diffi cult to confi rm that our wind machines started, ran, and shut down appropriately during the course of a cold night. The ORSat System changed all that. Now we have the ability to start and stop our machines remotely, saving us money on fuel, labor and maintenance. ORSat also notifi es us when the machines are starting and stopping via the Auto-Start, and warns us of any problems. The ORSat System gives us yet another layer of protection above and beyond the Auto-Start and the Wind Machines themselves. " It provides us peace of mind on long, cold nights." "ORSat puts frost protection at our fi ngertips." --Marcus & John Griggs 1611 W Ahtanum Union Gap WA 98903 Phone: (509) 457-9196 3766 Iroquois Wenatchee WA 98801 Phone:(509) 662-2753 ORSat ™ -- another innovative product from Orchard-Rite ® Call us FIRST for the largest selection of trees and rootstocks available NEW APPLE rootstock! 1-800-421-4001 Phone: 503-538-2131 Fax: 503-538-7616 E-mail: info@treeconnect.com Web: www.treeconnect.com From the breeders of Bud 9: • Vigor between M-9 T337 and M-9 Pajam®2 • Yield efficiency similar to M-9 T337 • Dwarfing • Cold hardy • Disease resistant • Fireblight tolerant B10 ® cv. Mich 96 USPP 21,223 Services are FREE TO GROWERS! Future contracts for cherries, pears, and apples; ALL ROOTSTOCKS.