By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

COUNTRYSIDE, Ill. — Food safety begins on the farm, and Illinois produce and livestock farmers have the tools to make the products they sell safer, thanks to workshops offered by University of Illinois extension.

The first of two Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) workshops took place March 23 in Countryside. A second is scheduled for April 7 (tomorrow) at the Kankakee County extension office in Bourbonnais. “Recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses involving both fresh and processed food products have heightened public concern about food safety,” said Ellen Phillips, UoI extension educator in crop systems. “Increasingly more consumers want to know how their food is grown.”

Chege said every year, an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne illness are reported; 325,000 people are hospitalized as a result; 5,200 people die from foodborne illness; and economic losses are estimated between $10 billion-$83 billion. He also touched on the three microorganisms that cause foodborne illness: bacteria, parasites and viruses.

During the workshops, producers learn about produce food safety, post-harvest produce handling, water quality and testing, soil management, manure management, worker health and hygiene and auditing farms for GAPs and food safety.

Speakers at the Countryside session included Phillips, James Theuri, Peter Chege, Maurice Ogutu, water tester Larry Lyons of Lyons Lab in Stockton, Ill., and John Atsaves, a USDA auditor who shared what to expect during an audit. Many fresh-produce retailers are beginning to require their producers to have third-party audits to verify safe food production and handling practices on the farm. “The recently signed bill to overhaul food safety underscores the growing emphasis on food safety and the need for fresh-produce farmers to produce a safe product,” Phillips said.

This workshop offers benefits to producers, retailers and wholesalers in supermarkets and farmers’ markets, and even business owners in service industries, Phillips said. In particular, the GAPs workshop equips producers with the knowledge to put together a written food safety plan. By becoming food-safety compliant, producers should stay competitive in the specialty produce business. Specific recommendations were given to keep produce safe from planting to the consumer’s table, with documentation specifics for the entire process.

“Record it or regret it,” Chege said.

Pre-registration is required. To register for the Bourbonnais workshop, visit http://kankakee.extension.uiuc.edu

The cost per participant, including lunch, is $30 and $25 for additional employees or family members (sharing the curriculum). Space is limited. For more information, call 815-933-8337.