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Support research and communication of the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program collaborators to insure that accurate and current research results that impact GAPs recommendations are incorporated into educational materials and extension programming. Updating GAPs recommendations helps insure produce growers are implementing the most effective GAPs to reduce microbial risks in the fresh fruits and vegetables they grow, harvest, and pack.
Non-Technical Summary: Research regarding good agricultural practices and microbial risk reduction in fresh fruits and vegetables is conducted at multiple institutions across a diverse set of scientific disciplines. Encouraging research and communication among National GAPs Program collaborators helps to insure current, pertinent research results are discussed and their impact on GAPs recommendations deliberated. This information can then be shared with produce growers to reduce microbial risks during production, harvesting, and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables through the implementation of the most scientifically supported GAPs. <P> Approach: Facilitate and encourage interaction and communication among collaborators from fields such as food science, horticulture, microbiology, animal science, and agricultural economics. This will allow for all areas of significance in produce food safety related to GAPs implementation to be discussed and fully evaluated.