January 2019 - 35

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
" These results suggest that there
is a general lack of understanding
among vendors about when to use
disposable gloves, when to change
gloves, and what kinds of behaviors are
unacceptable while wearing gloves, "
said lead researcher Joshua Scheinberg,
now director of food safety and quality
assurance with Godshall's Quality Meats
in Telford, Pennsylvania. The research
was his doctoral thesis.
Having evolved since the colonial
era, farmers' markets have replaced Old
World-style markets, with more than
8,500 U.S. farmers' markets in operation
today. As farmers' markets have increased
in size, scope and complexity, so have the
potential food safety risks. According to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 40
percent of farmers markets are selling
prepared foods, 66 percent meat or
poultry and 16 percent fish or seafood.
" These significant changes in the
kinds of foods sold at farmers' markets
present new food-safety challenges and
implications, " Scheinberg said. " As a
result, several studies have revealed highrisk
food safety factors unique to farmers'
markets and farmers' market vendors. We
also saw problems. "
In the study, researchers checked
select samples of leafy green produce and
meat obtained from farmers' markets
in Pennsylvania for the presence of
hygiene indicators - coliforms, fecal
purposes. However, if surveillance
is not concealed, it can result in
unintended behavioral changes,
according to Scheinberg. Those changes
- known as the Hawthorne Effect - can
render such observations meaningless.
Also, in a subsequent phase of
the study, researchers developed a
curriculum for Penn State Extension
to train farmers' market vendors in
food safety that is now available online
through the Penn State Extension
website (www.extension.psu.edu).
This Penn State research is a perfect
example of how a land-grant university
should function, Cutter said.
" We are using science - in this case, a
The handling of money and unpackaged foods without changing gloves in between tasks
was common.
coliforms, listeria and E. coli - and found
cause for concern.
E. coli was present in 40 percent (20
of 50) of beef samples and 18 percent
(nine of 50) of pork samples. E. coli was
found in 28 percent (15 of 54) of kale
samples, 29 percent (15 of 52) of lettuce
samples and 17 percent (eight of 46) of
spinach samples.
Researchers detected listeria in 8 percent
SEEDWAY_Sakata_VGN_Jan2018_Layout 1 11/21/2018 4:02 PM Page 1
(four of 50) beef samples, 2 percent (one of
54) of kale samples, 4 percent (two of 52)
lettuce samples and 7 percent (three of 46)
spinach samples.
A previous phase of the research
created an app for smartphones to be
used in place of the traditional clipboards
to improve the quality of data collection
related to food safety observations.
Because smartphones are so ubiquitous,
and text messaging and social media
activities so common in public places,
no one questions what anyone does with
their phone. That pervasiveness allows
a phone application to be used in direct,
concealed observations without alerting
the people being observed.
Food safety practices used by food
handlers are often monitored for
research, inspection and regulatory
structured research program - to support
decision-making and development of
a curriculum, " she said. " What we do
in Extension is absolutely critical to
keeping agriculture-related businesses
in operation. We develop programs,
activities and products around these types
of research projects and then deliver them
to the citizens of Pennsylvania. "
Also involved in the research were
Rama Radhakrishna, professor of
agricultural and Extension education,
and Jonathan Campbell, assistant
professor of animal science and
Extension meat specialist.
Penn State's College of Agricultural
Sciences and Penn State Extension funded
this project. VGN
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January 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2019
