Farmers need more GAP control.

• Position: Foodborne Illnesses - Good Agricultural Practices

Some 48,000,000 Americans, or one in six, get sick from foodborne illnesses every year. That statistic prompted the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which requires farmers to take preventive measures against food safety risks once the Food and Drug Administration finalizes rules to enforce the law.

Illness-causing pathogens, such as salmonella and E. coli, come from a variety of sources. The most common is fecal matter, which can be spread by water, wildlife, waste, and workers, points out Cole Ehmke, University of Wyoming Extension specialist. Simple steps like hand-washing, using clean equipment, and keeping wildlife away--things many farmers already do--can reduce contamination.

What is more difficult is keeping the records to prove It, which FSMA will require. Documenting food safety efforts is necessary if farmers want Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) certification. GAPs are market-driven, voluntary practices farmers can implement to reduce food safety risks.

Purchasers of fresh produce (such as restaurants and retail stores) and institutions (such as schools, care facilities, and prisons) may require GAPs certification or at least a written Farm Food Safety Plan. Growers passing a GAPs audit--an on-farm Inspection that is part of the certification process--likely will comply with FSMA rules, too, Ehmke emphasizes.

"There is a cost for the auditing process, but the certification provides a point of distinction from other producers," he says. "At this point in time, producers with...