Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020 - 38

program (7). Also, the participants' managerial positions and
understanding of the importance of the FSMA highlight two
of the six food culture-associated factors that can contribute
to food safety performance: leadership and commitment to
food safety (9).
CONCLUSION
The apple packing industry was impacted by a L. monocytogenes outbreak linked to caramel apples in late 2014. This
outbreak was contemporaneous with FDA's promulgation of
the FSMA regulations, particularly the produce safety regulation, which aims to reduce the number of foodborne illnesses
associated with fresh produce. This incident presented an
ideal opportunity to learn about the apple packing industry's
current practices, provide training, and assess the opinions
and attitudes of the industry on the FSMA, as it may play a
role in implementation.
Despite the lack of formal regulatory food safety requirements (during the timeframe of this research), many of
the apple packing facilities already had critical food safety
practices in place or were working toward incorporating
them into their facilities. Feedback from surveys of the
packers indicated a need for additional training on microbial pathogens and the FSMA regulatory requirements. When
provided with food safety training, the apple packers agreed

that the information received would help them to implement practices in their operation to ensure the production
of safe products and expressed willingness to train others in
their companies. Additionally, the apple packers indicated
belief in the importance of the FSMA by attending more
FSMA-related training and making the necessary changes
within their facility. The attitudes and opinions of the
apple packers revealed that there are gaps that need to
be addressed by the FDA in terms of current processor
practices affecting foodborne outbreaks and the resources
provided to educate the industry about the FMSA.
This research helped compile a list of training topics that
this industry needs, which can be used to develop future
training for this industry. Future work can also focus on the
changes made in current practices after the implementation
of the FSMA.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported in part by the National
Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, under award number 2011-51110-31104
(Project Co-Director: L.D. Bourquin, K.D. Dolan and
M. Siddiq). The Michigan Apple Committee and Michigan
State University provided additional monetary and in-kind
support.

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