COVID- 19 Sanitation and Hygiene - a podcast by CCE ENYCH Team

Elisabeth Hodgdon, Regional Vegetable Crops Specialist and Produce Safety Alliance Lead Trainer, discusses how farms should develop sanitation and employee hygiene protocols in response to COVID-19. Hodgdon covers which areas of the farm to prioritize for cleaning and sanitizing, how to select labeled sanitizers, distinctions between cleaning and sanitizing, how to develop Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs), considerations for safe use of gloves, some handwashing basics, and more.

If you have questions or recommendations for topics to cover on future episodes focused on COVID-19, please email eg572@cornell.edu or call (845) 293-3832 and leave a message.

Resources:
EPA “List N,” disinfectants for SARS-CoV-2
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2

NYS registered disinfectants based on EPA List N:
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/covid19.pdf

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) website has a “resources” tab that has links to various food safety documents, including an Excel sheet of sanitizer information, farm food safety plan templates, record templates, and more. You can also view a list of upcoming standardized PSA Grower Training Courses nationwide, which farms are required to attend if their farm is covered by FSMA. Website: https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/

The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) online clearinghouse is a curated source of over 400 food safety resources of all kinds. Enter keywords into the search bar to find resources related to specific topics. Here, you can find links to a regional water testing lab map, multiple DIY hand washing station plans, safe manure and composting use fact sheets, and much much more. Website: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/necafs/clearinghouse/home

Cornell Vegetable Program list of food safety resources, including SOPs for wash/pack, cleaning and sanitizing tools and equipment, videos on how to use sanitizers, and more. Website: https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/food_safety.php#topbox

How to build a low cost handwashing station:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c0VIhOCm5KsUa1kBkp-wedtJV_5PHsfV/view

Cornell farm food safety plan template document (commonly used template by farms in NYS):
https://gaps.cornell.edu/educational-materials/farm-food-safety-plan-template/

Bare Hands vs Gloves, by Penn State:
http://foodsafety.psu.edu/angel/fssbook/unit_2/module_4/docs/Bare_Hands_or_Gloves.pdf

Farm Employee Hygiene Policies and Sanitation Checklists Developed by Farms in Vermont (scroll to bottom of the page): http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/Covid-19.html

Basic Elements of Equipment Cleaning and Sanitizing in Food Processing and Handling Operations from University of Florida: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS07700.pdf

Cornell COVID-19 Resources:
General Questions & Links:
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/
Food Production, Processing & Safety Questions:
https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/
Employment & Agricultural Workforce Questions:
http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/
Cornell Small Farms Resiliency Resources:
https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/resources/farm-resilience/
Financial & Mental Health Resources for Farmers:
https://www.nyfarmnet.org/

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