In This Issue:
Calendar
Tribute to Hal Willson
Final Juice Rules Released
Apple Movement up in December
January 30-February 1, 2001: Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania. For more information call Maureen Irvin at (717) 677-4184.
February 7-9, 2001: Ohio Fruit Growers Society Congress, in conjunction with the Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association, Ohio Direct Marketing Association, and The Ohio State University will be held in Toledo at the Seagate Centre and Radisson Hotel.
March 10: Ohio Berry Growers School, OSU Piketon Research and Extension Center, Piketon, Ohio. Presenters for this year's school include Dr. Barclay Poling (North Carolina State University), Dr. Fumiomi Takeda (USDA Appalachian Fruit Research Station), and Peter Bierman and Brad Bergefurd (OSU Piketon). For more information call Brad Bergefurd at (740) 289-3727 or e-mail at bergefurd.1@osu.edu
Hal's contributions to field crop and grain storage entomology will be sorely missed. He has been a long time leader in IPM methodology in the Midwest and also in Uganda, Africa. Hal always believed that sharing his research with farmers was the most important aspect of his job.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations may be made to "H.R. Willson - Uganda Fund". The funds will be allocated to donating Hal's entomology journals to a university library in Uganda. An address for donations will be included as soon as available.
Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Sally, and his family. Cards may be sent to the family at 6792 Markwood Street, Worthington, OH 43085.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced its much-anticipated rules designed to improve the safety of fruit and vegetable juices. Under the rule announced January 18, juice processors (and those who wholesale juice) must use Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles for juice processing and use a process that achieves a five-log, or 100,000-fold, reduction in the numbers of the most resistant pathogen in their finished products compared to levels that may be present in untreated juice.
Operations that only sell juice or cider directly to the consumer are exempt from the HACCP and five-log kill requirements. They must, however, place a warning label on the juice product, according to Carrie Anisworth-Wright, press officer for FDA.
"It's (new FDA rule) going to affect a good number of farm markets who have some wholesale accounts," said Bob Tritten, Michigan State University Extension agent for the Southeast region. "These growers will now have to have an HACCP plan. It looks like it might be a little bit better, a little bit easier than what we thought for the markets that just sell direct." Tritten said he readjusted the upcoming schedule for the Cider Makers School in Michigan so this rule can be covered in depth.
Tritten said only 15-20% of cider makers in Michigan treat their cider, although over 50% of cider by volume is treated in Michigan, either by heat treatment, thermal pasteurization, or ultraviolet light.
The rules
The juice HACCP regulation applies to juice products in both interstate and intrastate commerce. Juice processors will be required to evaluate their manufacturing process to determine whether there are any microbiological, chemical, or physical hazards that could contaminate their products. If a potential hazard is identified, processors will be required to implement control measures to prevent, reduce, or eliminate those hazards, according to FDA.
HACCP systems call for a science-based analysis of potential hazards, determination of where the hazards can occur in processing, implementing control measures at points where hazards can occur to prevent problems, and rapid corrective actions if a problem occurs. Firms will be required to maintain records in association with implementation of their HACCP plans and verification of those plans.
Processors are also required to use processes that achieve a five-log, or 100,000-fold, reduction in the numbers of the most resistant pathogen in their finished products compared to levels that may be present in untreated juice. Juice processors may use microbial reduction methods other than pasteurization, including approved alternative technologies (such as the recently approved UV irradiation technology) or a combination of techniques.
Processors making shelf-stable juices or concentrates that use a single thermal processing step are exempt from the microbial hazard requirements of the HACCP regulation.
Retail establishments, including small cider makers, where packaged juice is made and only sold directly to consumers are not required to comply with this regulation. However, small cider makers with any wholesale accounts are required to comply.
Implementation
Large companies will have one year after publication of the regulation to implement HACCP programs. Small companies (fewer than 500 employees) must comply two years after publication and very small companies must comply three years after publication. FDA defines a "very small" company as one with total amount of sales of less than $500,000 or if total amount of sales is greater than $500,000, the total food sales are less than $50,000; or person claiming exemption employs fewer than an average of 100 full-time employees and fewer than 100,000 units of juice were sold in the United States, according to Anisworth-Wright.
Processors must continue to use the previously required warning label statement until they implement HACCP programs. If small cider makers, exempt from this ruling, do not use a five-log kill, they must continue to use the warning label on their product, according to the FDA. In the interim, FDA will continue to inspect juice processing facilities to assure that they are producing safe juice and juice products.
The long awaited rule, in the works for over two years, comes after a rise in the number of foodborne illness outbreaks and consumer illnesses associated with juice products. These include a 1996 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with apple juice products and two citrus juice outbreaks attributed to Salmonella in 1999 and 2000.
The apple juice outbreak sickened 70 people in the western United States and Canada, including a child who died from hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by the infection. The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in 2000 was caused by unpasteurized orange juice and resulted in 88 illnesses in six western states.
Additional information is available from several FDA sites. The first is a news release at: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2001/NEW00749.html.
The complete regulations are available from the Federal Registry at: http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/011901d.pdf or:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/011901b.htm.
Be advised that the rules are quite lengthy.
http://www.fruitgrowersnews.com
Movement of U.S. apples from storage to market accelerated considerably in December 2000 compared to the previous year's crop, according to the results of USApple's January 1 survey of apple storage facilities nationwide.
"The movement figures reflect Washington state's entry into the market in a big way in December," said Jim Cranney, vice president of USApple.
Total movement of 19 million bushels of U.S. fresh-market and processing apples during December 2000 was 8% greater than crop movement during December 1999, and is slightly ahead of the average movement for the month over the past five years.
Movement of fresh-market apples from storages in the Northwest was up 20% and movement from the Southeast was up 43% compared to movement during December 1999, while movement of apples from the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest were down comparatively.
Movement of apples from controlled -atmosphere storage were up 60% compared to December 1999, and 19% ahead of the five-year average for December.
On January 1, 2001, 119.6 million bushels of fresh-market and processing apples were in storage, a 4% increase from holdings on January 1, 2000, and a 7% increase from the five-year average for holdings on January 1 of 111.3 million bushels, reflecting the larger 2000 crop. Total fresh-market apple holdings of 83.3 million bushels on January 1, 2001, were 6% greater than the same time last year, and 6% greater than the five-year average for that date.
On a varietal basis, 36.5 million bushels of fresh-market Red Delicious were in storage on January 1, 2001, a 3% increase from January 1, 2000, but a 6% decrease from the five-year average holdings for that variety.
Golden Delicious holdings were up slightly compared to January 1, 2000, levels but the same as the five-year average. Fresh-market Fuji holdings of 9.5 million bushels were up 61% compared to last year, and up 74% compared to the five-year average. Likewise, fresh-market Gala holdings of 5.2 million bushels were up 34% compared to 2000 and 114% compared to the five-year average. McIntosh holdings of 2 million bushels were down 29% from 2000 and down 24% from the five-year average.
Ted W. Gastier
Extension Agent, Agriculture
Tree Fruit Team Coordinator
Ohio State University Extension Huron County
180 Milan Avenue
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: (419)668-8210
FAX: (419)663-4233
E-mail: gastier.1@osu.edu
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