How to ensure food safety since the moment of planting?
What is food safety?
The term “food safety” refers to a set of practices and initiatives that aim to guarantee people’s access to food with nutritional value and in an adequate amount for a good quality of life.
This concept came from the concern generated in the two world wars in the first half of the last century. These events resulted in widespread shortages due to the lack of conditions to produce healthy food in Europe, in particular, due to the contamination of natural resources by substances used in weapons manufacturing.
Nearly 100 years since World War I, food distribution is still a concern in many countries. Just to give you an idea, as reported by UN Radio, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) recorded about 795 million victims of hunger in 2016, and more recent data indicate that this number is increasing.
It is urgent, therefore, that actions are taken to promote the production of good quality food, reduce waste rates and guarantee the population’s access to these subsistence resources.
With this objective in mind, several initiatives have emerged to promote food and nutrition safety for Brazilians. In 1993, for example, the National Food and Nutrition safety Council (CONSEA) was created in Brazil. Ten years later, the Zero Hunger Program was implemented. The following year, in 2004, the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger (MDS) was created.
As mentioned, additional guarantees were included in the Federal Constitution through Decree 7,272, in 2010. Among them, the human right to adequate food and the institution of the National Food and the Nutrition Safety Policy.
These were important steps towards the production of healthier and good-quality food. Policies will be of little value if rural farmers do not take practical steps to ensure that good products reach the final consumer’s table. What issues pose a challenge for the farmer to ensure food safety? Let’s check them out.
What are the main challenges?
To achieve food safety, it is necessary to overcome many challenges. Below, we will list the most important ones.
Waste of food
Throughout the production process, from planting, the farmer faces many losses, especially when outdated management techniques are adopted during planting, harvesting, and storing.
The Brazilian storage system faces serious bottlenecks. We do not have the necessary structure to store the produced crop. We can cite the case of soy. Often, the grains are just gathered in a heap and covered with a tarp. This improper storage causes the material to rot.
It is clear that the storage capacity in silos has increased in recent years, but it is still insufficient to cover Brazilian production — which generates plenty of losses.
Political matters
Food safety also depends on public policies that guarantee people’s access to nutrition. Therefore, it would not be enough to increase production and take care of problems that reduce waste. Aspects such as the farmers’ access to good quality agricultural machinery and actions that ensure the population’s access to food must also be embraced by public policies.
There are already many programs that aim to improve these issues, such as the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) — in which the government buys food from family farmers to build stocks and distribute to needy populations. There are also public and private initiatives — such as the Agricultural Machinery Consortium — that facilitate investment for small and medium-sized properties.
Climate change
Climate is an important aspect of food production. Extreme conditions can substantially interfere with crop results. Projections released by Embrapa pointed to an average reduction of 30% in wheat productivity in Brazil and 16% in corn crops, taking into account the period between 1990 and 2060. In more evident scenarios, we perceive the effect that rainy seasons, waves of heat and droughts present already today.
Scarcity of natural resources
Soil degradation and water stress are major challenges for food production in the world. A study by FAO in partnership with researchers from Embrapa concluded that 30% of the world’s soils are in a state of degradation. This condition results in soils with low or no fertility, unproductive lands, erosion processes, and landslides.
In addition, further data released by FAO revealed that 70% of the water consumed in the world is directed to agricultural activities. However, competition for water use only increases due to the greater concentration of people in large cities and the industrial sector.
Faced with these problems, we realize that there is still a lot to be done to ensure good quality food on the population’s table. Learn all about food safety and what practices can reduce the challenges!
Everything about food safety: how to ensure good consumer use?
Since food safety also encompasses the provision of healthy and good quality food, it is important that the rural farmer pays attention to all stages of production — from soil preparation to products storage and distribution to customers. See below what steps can be taken at each step.
Pesticide control
Brazil is the largest consumer of pesticides in the world. This is not good, as the inappropriate use of these products can pose health risks not only to the final consumer but to the farmer himself who is involved in the pesticide application.
According to the PARA program, directed by Anvisa, some of the major causes of these problems are cross-contamination, drift and soil contamination. Some measures, however, can prevent or reduce the chances of contamination, such as:
- buy good quality agrochemicals that are more suitable for the pest and culture, under the guidance of an agronomist;
- use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
- pay attention to the product’s toxicity scale — a rating that ranges from 1 to 4, where 1 is the most toxic and 4 the least aggressive. Prefer less toxic ones;
- transport pesticides correctly in the truck bed, away from food or animals, covered by canvas and in intact containers;
- use calibrated equipment in good condition;
- control the use of sprayers, which use automatic systems to release chemicals safely, to the extent and in the right places, with more uniformity;
- store pesticides in safe, well-identified places, away from water and food sources;
- properly dispose of in the rescue bags, where they will be sent to the retailer — the delivery location must be specified on the invoice or agronomic prescription.
Sustainable production
Sustainable production management is based on respect, responsibility, and knowledge in relation to the environment’s resources. Therefore, there is great concern about the impact that agribusiness actions will have on society and the nature that surrounds it.
These principles influence all stages of production, guiding actions related to conscious irrigation and pesticide use reduction or elimination.
In this scenario, there are more and more organic agriculture initiatives, which dispense with the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in crops. To this end, there are 4 pillars:
- respect for the environment through the conscious use of non-renewable natural resources;
- crop diversification to use natural pesticides against pests;
- use of organic matter as green manure, organic compost and mulch to fertilize the soil;
- autonomy in relation to the input industry.
Packaging care
Packaging is essential to ensure the preservation of the integrity of the food and its nutritional characteristics, as well as to facilitate transport and handling. On the other hand, improper containers could expose the products to contamination, degradation, rapid ripening, and consequent losses.
A study carried out by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) found that “K” type boxes used to transport persimmons were responsible for 40% of the losses in the entire production.
Given this, there are several alternative models on the market that were designed to protect food from mechanical damage and other harmful agents. Embrapa itself developed a group of boxes that can be used to transport vegetables and fruits. According to the company, this product has a 17% reduction in post-harvest losses compared to the “K” model.
When choosing the most suitable type of packaging, it is necessary to pay attention to the size and weight of the product. In addition, the material used must be sufficient to protect the food.
However, packaging is directly linked to another issue that also deserves attention: transport.
Logistics
74% of agricultural production in Brazil is transported by highways, which are mostly in poor condition — and generates an additional cost reflected in the consumer’s pockets.
Therefore, when deciding which type of transport is most suitable for the product, it is necessary to evaluate some aspects, such as:
- biological or chemical factors — risks of contamination, moisture content, ventilation and lighting required by the food;
- physical factors — type of conditioning, packaging, and storage;
- time — delivery time of the product to the point of resale.
Additionally, it is important for the farmer to seek greater integration with retailers and wholesalers to speed up the sales process and avoid waste.
In addition, the efficiency of the fieldworker who handles the food can be increased by using equipment that avoids product contact with the soil and speeds up the transfer from the plantation to storage.
Precision agriculture application
Precision agriculture uses techniques, equipment and software to optimize production processes. This is possible thanks to the collection and analysis of property data, such as soil, crop type and climate. The combination of these records gives the farmer enough information to make a decision on the application of fertilizers and pesticides, for example.
In addition, these new tools help detect mechanical and human errors that could jeopardize food safety, expose them to contamination or waste resources.
The most obvious and immediate impact of precision agriculture is the different treatment in the fields regarding fertilizer, corrective and pesticide application. With this, more savings are achieved in inputs compared to traditional management.
New methods and technology made it possible to produce more and better, without necessarily increasing the size of the cultivated area.
Biotechnology in agriculture
When we mention biotechnology in agriculture, the expectation is that it will guarantee more health and nutrition to the population by presenting more variety and quality of products. In Brazil, such technology emerged in the 1980s at Embrapa as a tool for the genetic improvement of agricultural crops.
Through it, it is possible to develop plants that are more resistant or tolerant to biotic stress — such as pests and diseases — and abiotic stress — such as droughts and extreme temperatures. The result is increased productivity of more abundant, nutritious, and cheaper food, as costs are reduced with less use of pesticides and irrigation.
It is already possible to observe crops that are more adapted to adverse climates or more tolerant to specific pests. Transgenics, for example, are already widely used in Brazil. These Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are the result of much scientific research. They have their genes altered to enhance their properties. The US is the leader in the planting of transgenics. Right below are Brazil and Argentina.
Meal and food preparation
When the food arrives in the kitchen and is prepared for consumption, further care is needed. There are great risks of contamination by bacteria and fungi, in addition to improper storage. It is necessary to pay attention to several aspects to avoid the so-called foodborne diseases.
Focusing on the handling of products during meal preparation in restaurants, bakeries and similar establishments, there are several legal and technical aspects that ensure food safety.
Firstly, there are guidelines in the Good Practices Manual (MBP) and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that set standards for the production site.
There are also spreadsheets for monitoring the temperature of equipment and food that is in storage, in preparation, and ready to ship. It is necessary for the person in charge to create a preparations flowchart to avoid cross-contamination between the produces.
Another important aspect is the health and hygiene of those who will handle the food. This is usually the main means of contamination. Simple practices such as washing your hands frequently during the workday and when changing tasks make a big difference.
In addition, it is essential that the handler does not work with exposed wounds, flu, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or any other symptoms that could contaminate food.
In farming, the agronomist is the indispensable professional to guide practices that guarantee food safety. In the stages of food preparation, the responsible professional is the nutritionist. They need to understand the quality processes throughout each step.
How to manage the risk of pathogenic factors in agricultural production?
The risk is the potential impact of an event occurring along the product’s production and distribution chain. It is very difficult to guarantee the complete absence of pathogenic factors in foods, since the number of microorganisms in these products is enormous. In addition, there are other aspects involved in such risk, like the methods used in food preparation and the consumer’s role in food safety.
However, this management involves identifying and quantifying everything about food safety, listing all risks in order to mitigate them along the production and supply chain.
It is important that the farmer develops a broad view of the social and environmental impact of their actions. As we have seen above, there are practical measures that encompass everything about food safety, from the plantation to the consumer’s table. This will allow sustainable business growth with less losses and more productivity.
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