Executive Summary
Although the vast majority of produce-related food-borne illnesses in the United States are traced back to food processors and not to farms, several recent outbreaks associated with fresh or fresh-cut produce have brought the farm squarely into the food safety picture. A 2006 outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 in bagged, ready-to-eat spinach and iceberg lettuce sent consumers running from leafy greens; a 2008 Salmonella outbreak, linked first to tomatoes and then to chili peppers, had a similar chilling effect. As a result, both government and industry have developed guidelines or strict protocols intended to improve produce safety on the farm.
Driven by a desire to prevent liability and to reassure consumers, many wholesale produce buyers and handlers — from regional distributors serving schools, to multinational supermarket chains — require farmers to comply with one or more of these on-farm food safety protocols. The protocols typically govern water and land use, worker hygiene, wildlife management and other activities. Often, the farmer must pay for an audit to demonstrate compliance before the buyer will purchase his or her product. Farmers selling to multiple buyers find themselves entwined in an increasingly complex and costly web of food safety programs, audits and certifications.
This report begins with an overview of existing on-farm food safety policies and programs. It then analyzes the ramifications of existing and proposed protocols, and offers recommendations for improving produce safety while preserving the diversity of farm sizes and production methods present in the U.S. food system.

Read the rest of the Executive Summary and the report

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/sr/sr1073-e.pdf