Food safety news & views.

AMI Launches Food Safety Effort by Laura Phelps outlines a plan to verify that fresh mushrooms sold in the United States are produced on farms that are certified by an industry standard of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Representatives from farms and packinghouses along with food safety consultants and Penn State professors participated in preparing a group review of GAPs, a food safety training kit and a single audit with guidelines, forms and checklists required for certification. AMI also worked with Congress to amend the law creating the Mushroom Council so the Council could establish a food safety program as part of its responsibilities.

Food Safety's Costs by David Eddy says that growers usually have to pay for food safety enhancements. Recently, however, some produce companies have started to attach a food safety surcharge to products since growers, shippers and retailers are all involved in restoring consumer confidence in produce items. Various commodity groups plan similar charges and say that food safety regulations should be tailored for specific segments of the industry since there is no one program that will fit all produce items or production methods. Florida tomato growers created a mandatory food safety program because they were concerned that any food safety scare could impact tomato sales. A review of the legislation is included.

The Effect of Washing and Slicing Operations on the Survival Behavior of Listeria Monocytogenes and Salmonella SP in Fresh Mushrooms during Postharvest Storage by Naveen Chikthimmah, Luke F. LaBorde and Robert. B. Beelman is a Science and Technology article. Pathogens were applied to fresh mushrooms, either whole or sliced, following washing and prior to slicing. Results of the study demonstrated that whole mushrooms, when stored appropriately, did not support the growth of L. monocytogenes or Salmonella but sliced mushrooms showed significant growth. These conclusions are consistent with government results for fresh cut product, which shows that the uninjured outer surface of fruits and vegetables do not create a favorable environment for pathogen growth. The article recommends that all mushroom growers and packers could prevent pathogen contamination through the application of GAPs.

In this issue, look for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's September is Mushroom Month proclamation. Copies of the proclamation, suitable for framing, are available from the AMI Avondale office. Personal Computing describes "Lingo for a Techno Age" and Industry News explains regulations from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, on using outside contractors for labor on mushroom farms. The Mushroom Council Update features a variety of e-newsletters available on line for consumers, health professionals, foodser-vice and the retail trade. In Memoriam reports the sad news that Dr. Murray O'Neil, founder and owner of Highline Mushrooms in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, died in June. Our condolences go to his family, Highline Mushroom Company and his many friends in the global mushroom farm community.

--Sara Manning. Mushroom News Editor