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Welcome back to Field Notes!
a quarterly newsletter from the Food Safety & Consumer Protection Division
of the
Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
June 2021
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| by: Dr. Kristin Haas, FSCP Division Director
"Protect the health of the state's livestock while also protecting consumers at the gas pump"...
This is a sentence near and dear to my heart because it was included in the employment position posting for the job that ushered me out of the private sector and into the role of public servant with the Agency of Agriculture, Food And Markets 13+ years ago. It was a good move on my part, and I have been in wonderful company amidst my colleagues in the Food Safety and Consumer Protection (FSCP) Division, and the Agency, ever since. I have also come to appreciate that the simple recruitment tag line above perfectly embodies the broad range of responsibility of the hard-working FSCP Division employees.
I have said it before, but it is worth repeating: if you eat food or buy commodities in Vermont, we are your behind-the-scenes people making sure your food is safe, your livestock and poultry are healthy, and your prices for goods and services are accurate. If we are doing our jobs well, you may not hear much about us as we work behind the scenes to regulate, educate and assist.
Field Notes evolved out of our desire to invite you into our day-to-day and help broaden your understanding of Vermont agriculture. Our state's agriculture sector is vibrant and diverse, and we are proud to be a part of its fabric! We have been busy since we shared the inaugural edition of Field Notes with you in March and hope that you enjoy getting to know us a little bit better through the stories we have included in this edition.
Enjoy the read... Kristin
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Animal Health Specialists: Jacks of All Trades!
by: Dr. Kaitlynn Levine, Assistant State Veterinarian
A day in the life of Animal Health Specialist Darryl Kuehne begins at 6 am as he walks into his own barn and greets his livestock. Darryl raises beef cattle and Karakul sheep, and crops hay. Once morning chores are complete, Darryl removes his farmer “hat” (and boots) and suits up for a long day protecting Vermont agriculture in his official capacity as the Agency’s most experienced animal health specialist.
Darryl first stops at a small dairy farm in Windham County, VT to provide free radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for the new calves. The farmer requested tags because she knows that livestock in Vermont must be officially identified before leaving the farm. This intrastate ID requirement is a cornerstone of Vermont’s robust Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program. ADT is a system that allows for swift identification and movement tracking during a disease outbreak and minimizes the related economic and health impacts. Darryl explains to the farmer that the RFID tags she is receiving are linked to her farm, and it is important that these tags only go into her animals - no sharing allowed! The Animal Health section maintains animal ID distribution data for use during animal disease contact tracing. The team can quickly identify the farm of origin of exposed or infected animals and can work with those owners to mitigate disease spread. This effort protects Vermont’s animal agricultural industry sector and benefits our State’s economy.
The farmer mentions that she has some market dairy calves heading to slaughter. These animals must have official ID, too. Instead of RFID tags, Darryl recommends visual official ID tags, which the Animal Health team also provides to farmers at no charge! Finally, Darryl demonstrates how to apply the tags so they remain securely in place; regulation with a healthy dose of in-person technical assistance! All questions answered and agreement forms signed, Darryl scrubs his boots and moves on to his next stop.
A short (for Vermont) drive later, Darryl arrives at a poultry farm. He is there to test birds the farmer is preparing for an upcoming poultry swap. Birds over 20 weeks old must be tested for Pullorum before being sold. Pullorum is a form of Salmonella that is transmitted between birds and through eggs. It doesn’t make people sick, but infection can be fatal in poultry. Thanks to bird testing on farms and at poultry events, Pullorum has been eliminated from 45 of the continental US states, including Vermont!
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| Darryl restrains a bird during Pullorum testing at a Vermont poultry swap |
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| Darryl sets a neat row of purple dots of testing media onto a white tile and mixes in a single drop of blood from each bird. The test is quick, and results are instantaneous (and negative!). He also officially identifies each tested bird, this time using a metal leg band with a unique number. Animal disease traceability at work once more, poultry style! |
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| Darryl's "tools of the trade": a Pullorum testing tile with reagents; alcohol for prep; sample collection materials; and poultry leg bands and applicator. Let's not forget the most important tool - a good old fashioned set of pen and paper - no room for a laptop in this work setting! |
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After completing the chicken flock, Darryl has one more patient - a juvenile peacock. Once the testing is done and the ID “anklet” is placed, this beautiful bird is all set to go to his new home, and Darryl rolls on to his last stop before calling it a day.
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| Darryl obtains a blood sample for Pullorum testing from a very beautiful bird at a Vermont poultry swap. This bird is similar to the one Darryl tested on-farm. |
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To close out the day, Darryl pulls off the highway into a DMV weigh station. He checks in with the DMV inspectors and asks if they have any referrals for the day. Years ago, Darryl led the development of a program with the DMV intended to increase the regulatory awareness and compliance of truckers moving livestock into and within Vermont. This program is still going strong today! Depending on the type of movement, drivers may need to license as livestock dealers or transporters, and all livestock moving into Vermont must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health chart) or equivalent interstate movement document. Darryl and the Agency’s Animal Health team now collaborate with DMV inspectors and USDA to monitor livestock conveyances for the presence of these special license plates and movement documents to ensure livestock moving on Vermont roads are traceable and do not pose a health threat to Vermont’s resident animals.
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| A typical licensed livestock dealer plate |
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No new offenders were identified today, and there was additional good news. Thanks to prior technical assistance offered by Darryl to the trucker, a recurring shipment of PA-origin market steers which historically lacked ear tags was compliant today; each animal was identified, and the required interstate movement documents accompanied the shipment. That constitutes a success, according to Darryl, the DMV, and the Agency!
The work day done and the sun setting, Darryl returns to his own farm. His cows don’t know that official IDs have been distributed, disease surveillance testing has been completed, and livestock shipments have been inspected. But they do know they want some dinner and bellow their insistence to Darryl as he tosses their evening hay, albeit not quickly enough for their liking. Fortunately, the sheep are more patient! Road-weary from the day, Darryl decides that the paperwork associated with today’s activities will be completed tomorrow, and he and all of Vermont go to sleep with their livestock and poultry a little bit safer and fully traceable.
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Who Audits Your State Food Safety Auditors?
The Meat Inspection Program Completes its Every-3-year On-site Audit by USDA
by: Dr. Katherine McNamara, FSCP Division Deputy Director
The Vermont Meat Inspection Program provides inspection services for meat and poultry slaughter operations, simple processing for ground products and individual cuts, and complex processing for products such as ham, bacon, summer sausage, Jerky products, and much more. The inspection of these products and processes allows local producers to market their meat and poultry products to consumers, restaurants, retailers, and wholesalers throughout the state.
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| Vermont product ready for purchase! Brought to you by Vermont's meat and poultry sector businesses and protected by the FSCP Meat Inspection team! |
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The Vermont State Legislature determined that meat and poultry products are an important source of the state’s total supply of food, and that it is essential to the public interest that the health and welfare of consumers be protected in the production of these commodities. Therefore, the Vermont Meat Inspection Section was established by the Legislature in 1967.
The Agency of Agriculture has a cooperative agreement with the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) which allows Vermont’s Meat Inspection Program to provide inspection services to meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities that produce product to be sold within Vermont. To qualify for this agreement, the Vermont Meat Inspection Program must continually implement and maintain an inspection system that is “at least equal to” the federal inspection program in its administration and enforcement of requirements.
In order to verify that Vermont is operating in an “equal-to” manner, FSIS conducts an annual audit of program documents and records and performs an in-person on-site review of the Vermont Meat Inspection Program once every three years.
Amidst all of the other uncertainty of the past year, 2021 was the year for an on-site audit!
For 2 weeks in June, the FSIS auditor reviewed all of the state-inspected slaughter and processing facilities that were operating during that period of time. At each facility, the auditor observed Vermont Program personnel as they performed their inspection duties. The auditor reviewed the State Program’s verification of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans, non-food safety consumer protection, control of specified risk materials, humane handling, slaughter inspection procedures and custom and retail exempt requirements. That is quite a list of tasks, and it can be summarized by saying that the FSIS auditor reviewed everything the State Program personnel do in the slaughter and processing plants!
The auditor completed this intensive visit to Vermont with no significant findings. In other words, your state meat inspection team passed the audit with flying colors! What does this mean for you? It means that you can be confident that the meat and poultry products that originate from Vermont slaughter and processing facilities are continuously held to the highest standards!
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| The Meat Inspection team works with Vermont's meat and poultry businesses to ensure the integrity of the products that end up on your family's dinner table |
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The Agency is proud of the efforts and diligence of the committed state inspection staff who worked so hard and represented Vermont so well and appreciates the ongoing collaboration with Vermont’s slaughter and processing facilities' owners, managers and employees. Job well done, Vermont team!
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The 42-Year Lund Legacy
by Marc Paquette, Weights and Measures Section Chief
Hugh Lund retired on May 21, 2021 after a long and distinguished career with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets. Hugh began work with the Agency in 1979 as a meat inspector and was one of the few Agency inspectors cross trained for weights & measures and meat inspection program duties. In 1982, Hugh moved to Springfield, and in 1996, he chose to devote himself full time to weights & measures. Hugh Lund then went on to serve the Agency and Vermonters as a weights and measures specialist for 27 years.
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| Hugh Lund on his last day. What's the verdict - does he look happy or sad? |
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Before moving on from the Agency this spring, Hugh shared some insights developed during his many years of service and emphasized the job satisfaction he experienced when he performed duties that protect consumers. As a meat inspector, Hugh was proud that the meat products leaving the plants under his regulatory purview were safe for consumers and met the associated regulations. He believes that food safety and sanitation are worthy principles and repeatedly expressed his commitment to and respect for the consumer protection role he served while upholding them.
Even after transitioning to the weights and measures world, Hugh’s consumer protection focus continued. His work centered on tests, inspections, and investigations surrounding commercial transactions where goods and services are sold by weight or measure. Hugh inspected retail scales, gas pumps, retail packages and scanning systems in stores, and large capacity scales at concrete plants. He also prioritized his response to consumer complaints to ensure a fair marketplace for all of us.
Hugh was known throughout the Agency as an expert on propane meters used in the delivery of fuel to businesses and homes and was the lead inspector of these devices for 25 years. The Vermont Weights and Measures team tests and inspects approximately 225 of these vehicle-mounted devices each year, ensuring that Vermont consumers receive an accurate measure, price disclosure, and an invoice as required by regulation.
Hugh witnessed some interesting changes in the propane sector during his career, stating “When I started, all of the propane meters being used for home delivery were mechanical. They had springs in the temperature compensators and gears, and these mechanical parts often failed, leading to inaccurate deliveries, adjustments, and repairs. Almost all of the meters today are electronic; they don’t have all of the moving parts and have far fewer problems.” When Hugh began his career with the Agency, weights and measures specialists adjusted out-of-tolerance meters. However, with the change from mechanical meters to electronic ones, responsibility for the adjustments shifted to trained personnel employed by registered service companies. This is a shift that Hugh supports.
Hugh noted other trends over his 42 year career, including a shift toward consumer protection-centered scopes of work that also maintain the goal of equity between buyer and seller. He supported this shift by embracing opportunities to work closely with the registered service companies and ensuring both parties are present during inspections to increase regulatory transparency and improve program efficiency.
In 2018, Hugh led the team responsible for replacing the Agency’s 100-gallon propane prover, a move that will benefit Vermonters for years to come. This testing equipment is used to calibrate propane meters used in the commercial delivery of fuel. Hugh worked diligently with equipment manufacturers to ensure strict specifications were met for this highly specialized testing unit. Like the 30-year-old unit it replaced, the new propane prover will ensure accuracy and continuity in the program while allowing the weights and measures team to protect consumers for decades to come.
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| The Agency's new 100- gallon propane prover |
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When asked for his parting words regarding the most rewarding part of his very long career, Hugh stated, “I recognize the need for and value of the meat inspection and weights & measures program work, and I have really enjoyed serving the people of Vermont in both capacities.”
The Food Safety and Consumer Protection Division and the entire Agency wish Hugh all the best. He will be missed, but the Agency's weights and measures team will build on his legacy by continuing to proudly serve and protect Vermonters in the marketplace. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Hugh!
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What is Produce Safety and How is it Evaluated in Vermont?
by: Tucker Diego, Agricultural Products Manager
Everybody eats, right? And it is probably safe to say everybody eats fruits or veggies, or both, especially this time of year since the Vermont growing season is in full swing and locally-produced food abounds – farmers markets, farm stands, PYOs, and CSAs are going strong!
Do you have a good sense of how “produce safety” impacts you and your family? As consumers, we think of washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, whereas produce growers may focus on making sure unwanted debris doesn’t end up in a bushel of apples or crate of potatoes. These are great steps to take, but they only represent a few steps within the produce safety continuum. The practice of produce safety is a bit more complex. Let’s look at it a bit more closely.
The goal of produce safety is quite simple – in a nutshell, it is all about making sure the fruits and vegetables you buy at a store, farm stand, or farmers market don’t make you or your family sick. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture takes your health and well-being seriously and works hard to protect both. The Vermont Produce Program implements the standards of the federal Produce Safety Rule in partnership with produce growers across Vermont.
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| Fresh Vermont strawberries "on the vine" |
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Picture these fresh strawberries (or another favorite fruit or vegetable). Do you know all the important steps along those berries' journey before they make their way into your refrigerator? How can you be assured that the berries were handled safely during each of those steps? Those strawberries were likely grown in an open field, harvested by hand, stored in coolers, transported in a truck, and placed in a market display before ultimately being purchased by you. When we talk about produce safety, we’re really talking about safeguarding your food at every step of that journey - including growing, harvesting, packing, and holding - until the product reaches your family’s dinner table.
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| Harvesting Vermont strawberries |
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Unlike dairy products that can be pasteurized or meat products that will be cooked before consuming, there are no “high-heat steps” to eliminate pathogens on fruits or vegetables because most produce does not tolerate exposure to high temperatures. Many fruits and vegetables are eaten raw and have the potential to carry pathogens that may cause foodborne illness if produce safety practices are not followed. Pathogens like Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, or the Hepatitis A virus may be found in the farm environment or be transmitted by humans or animals and can lead to serious health consequences, especially in vulnerable populations like children, elderly or immune compromised individuals, and pregnant women.
The good news is that outbreaks are rare, and the Agency works hard to keep it that way by assisting Vermont growers with their implementation of Produce Safety Rule principles and ensuring they adhere to the Rule consistently. These principles include basic requirements like washing hands regularly, not harvesting visibly contaminated produce, having adequate toilet facilities for farm workers, and routinely cleaning food contact surfaces. More technical aspects of the Rule include requirements around water testing, composting methods, and sanitizer treatments.
The Agency’s Produce Safety team works with growers to implement these standards on the farms that provide your local produce. The work is preventative, which means that when we’re succeeding, you likely won’t hear about it! However, you can learn more about Vermont’s Produce Safety Program here and in future editions of Field Notes.
Then head out to your favorite Vermont farm stand, farmers market, CSA or PYO and take advantage of all that our state’s growers have to offer because summer is short, Vermont, but very sweet, and the produce is top-notch!
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The Anatomy of a Milk Tanker Truck Inspection
by: E.B. Flory, Dairy Section Chief
Have you wondered about the specialization needed to allow milk tanker trucks to do what they do - pick up milk from multiple farms, keep it cold during transport, and safely offload milk at the processing plant so your favorite dairy products can show up on your grocery store shelves? The Agency of Agriculture’s Dairy Section team thinks about this regularly and works hard to ensure these state-of-the-art vehicles can do these things safely and in a way that protects Vermont’s farmers and consumers, and safeguards Vermont’s dairy supply.
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| A typical milk tanker truck waiting to be unloaded at a dairy processing facility |
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How does this passionate food safety team do this? Well, glad you asked…
Dairy Section team members inspect the tankers’ milk-contact surfaces and working parts to ensure cleanliness, detect equipment failure, mitigate human cleaning error, and oversee security sealing of each truck. From the ground, dairy inspectors observe the outsides of the tankers for cleanliness and evaluate rear compartments. The rear compartment features a tamper-proof seal that identifies where the last cleaning of the truck was performed and protects the truck from tampering that could endanger milk. During inspections, dairy staff break the seals after documenting seal numbers on inspection forms and wash tags. New seals are placed and recorded following rear compartment inspections to ensure compartment security.
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| A milk tanker truck's rear compartment with a meter and sampling system |
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While the rear compartment is open, inspectors verify that required information is documented on the wash tag by whomever last cleaned the truck. Wash tags provide important contact information for inspectors’ use. If a cleanliness issue is found, dairy inspectors can collaborate with personnel at the facility where cleaning took place to correct issues for the future. Inspectors also verify that the hoses, valves, piping, and loading pump are clean. Several of these components must be disassembled, hand-cleaned, and reassembled as part of the required sanitation protocols.
The inspector then evaluates the interior of the tanker by visualizing those surfaces through ground-level manholes or by climbing on top of the tanker to access elevated manhole covers. All manhole covers have tamper-proof seals that inspectors must break for inspection. The ID numbers of discarded seals and their replacements are recorded on the inspection form and wash tag. Inspectors ensure that rubber gaskets are in good repair, vent holes and manhole covers are clean, and milk-contact surfaces are clean and residue free. The dairy team also uses GoPro cameras to visualize difficult interior surfaces and protect inspector safety.
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| Dairy Farm Supervisor Eric Perkins climbs high to inspect a dairy tanker truck |
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All regulatory inspections are documented in writing, and a copy is left with tanker personnel, along with seals broken during inspection. Tankers passing inspection are issued a state inspection sticker, which can be checked at milk processing facilities to confirm the tankers are compliant with sanitation and security standards. Tankers that fail inspection may not be utilized until they meet cleanliness standards, and failed tankers must pass reinspection before being allowed to again collect milk.
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| Dairy team employees (from L to R) Justin "Jay" Jeror, Sue James and Greg Lockwood inspect an automated milk collection system. |
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The Agency of Agriculture’s Dairy Section team goes to great lengths (and literally climbs to great heights) to complete biennial inspections of Vermont’s 248 registered milk tanker trucks. For-cause inspections are also completed as needed. Milk tanker truck inspections are just one of many inspection types that the Dairy Section performs to ensure all aspects of Vermont’s dairy industry are meeting sanitation and food safety requirements.
Now you can be “in the know” the next time you pass a milk tanker truck on a Vermont highway!
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Well, that's a wrap for this edition of FSCP Field Notes! We hope we have been able to educate and intrigue you and have left you a little wiser about some of the behind-the-scenes pieces of Vermont Agriculture! We welcome questions about this content and suggestions for topics to cover in future newsletters. If you have thoughts, email us or give us a shout at (802)828-2426!
Invite your friends and colleagues to subscribe to future editions of Field Notes here.
Be well, and happy 4th of July, Vermonters!
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| Copyright © 2021 Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, All rights reserved. |
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