Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks

RECORD KEEPING
Record
Keeping
Keeping records of all farm
operations is very important,
especially when it comes to
food safety. With todays com-
plex food system, fresh
produce rarely moves directly
from the grower to the con-
sumer, but is often handled
many times before it reaches
the market and is consumed.
When foodborne illness out-
breaks occur, attempts are made to trace the contamination back to
the point of origin. Documenting manure use, water test results,
worker health, worker training programs, building sanitation, and
equipment maintenance may provide important data in determin-
ing the origin of the contamination. Showing due diligence is good
business and may prove contamination did not originate on your
farm.
Documentation highlights a growers commitment to produce
safety by reducing microbial risks to fruits and vegetables. Ex-
amples of good record keeping include:
a. A product flow diagram that describes movement of a
commodity from the field to the farm gate including
harvest practices, post harvest handling, storage and
transportation.
b. Checklists that document and verify your standard
operating procedures. They may be as simple as
recording toilet and hand washing facility cleaning or
more complicated processes such as monitoring and
recording worker health status (see the end of this
section for an example checklist).
The Importance of Record Keeping
c. Records that trace fruits and vegetables from the field to
the buyer. They should include field location, production
practices, harvest date, harvester information, storage
duration, transportation and buyer information.
Record keeping is also a valuable business tool. Many buyers
are requiring third party audits of their suppliers. Good records
facilitate ease of auditing by buyers and independent third party
auditing firms. In terms of meeting the requirements of auditors, the
need for record keeping cannot be over emphasized. Developing
record keeping strategies and implementing them to record GAPs
will likely be the most difficult and time-consuming part of your
food safety program, but it is very important. If your actions are not
documented there is no way to verify they were done.
This record keeping icon is placed throughout this assess-
ment to emphasize and reinforce the importance of record
keeping.

RECORD KEEPING
Good Agricultural Practices Practices Requiring Attention
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Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks Record Keeping1
Record Keeping

Good Agricultural Practices Practices Requiring Attention

Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks Record Keeping2
Record Keeping
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Good Agricultural Practices Practices Requiring Attention
Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks Record Keeping3
Record Keeping
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Record Keeping Action Plan
Do not remove. Photocopy this master for evaluations. Record Keeping Action Plan1 of 2
Management
Action for Person Estimated Target
Area
Improvement Responsible Cost Date
Date: __________________ Reviewer: _____________________________________ Field or Commodity: _______________________________
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Your Plans to Reduce Risks
Record keeping
Product identification
Annual food safety self
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Written recall plan
Recall plan contents
Record Keeping Action Plan
Do not remove. Photocopy this master for evaluations. Record Keeping Action Plan2 of 2
Management
Action for Person Estimated Target
Area
Improvement Responsible Cost Date
Date: __________________ Reviewer: _____________________________________ Field or Commodity: _______________________________
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Notification contacts in case of a
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Records of customer complaints
related to food safety or quality
Check Sheet for Field Toilets, Hand Washing Facilities,
Drinking Water and Safety Kit
Sample record keeping sheet. Modify to fit your operation. Check Sheet
Toilet &
Hand Single
Washing Paper Toilet Trash Drinking Use First
Facilities Water Soap Towels Paper Can Water Cups Aid Kit
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Date
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Initials
Sheet Reviewed by: ______________________________________________________________ on ______________________________________________
(Management) (Date)