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A new study by Terpase Gbaa, a Ph.D. candidate in the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences<\/a>, is seeking those answers. Gbaa is surveying small-scale and backyard egg farmers across the region to assess their awareness of food safety practices and identify gaps that could put consumers at risk. The survey is open to participants from Rhode Island and Connecticut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gbaa is a member of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Food Systems Lab<\/a>, which conducts food systems research, led by Associate Professor Patrick Baur<\/a>. Baur\u2019s lab aims to develop scale-appropriate food safety strategies and best practices that are specific to smaller operations. Adding extra burdens to small businesses is not the goal, Baur said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFood safety can be very expensive and intensive food safety rules can also be a barrier to entry,\u201d he commented, \u201cmeaning that it’s harder for young people to get started in farming and other food businesses because of the steep learning curve and higher up-front cost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With expertise in the food and beverage and animal feed industries as well as quality control, Gbaa brings scientific insight and practical experience to his program at 溏心vlog免费B站, with a focus on food safety and quality assurance. He is collaborating on the project with Indu Upadhyaya at the University of Connecticut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regional self-sufficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The new study comes as part of regional efforts that aim to grow New England\u2019s food self-sufficiency so that more food consumed in the region is locally produced. These initiatives seek to boost economic development, improve food security, and provide regional resilience to protect against supply chain shocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eggs are a key piece of that puzzle\u2014affordable, protein-rich, and well-suited to small farm production. However, eggs and the chickens that produce them can also carry pathogens such as avian influenza or salmonella, potentially causing significant illness in humans. Smaller-scale producers with smaller flocks have less exposure, but the risk is never zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMinimizing their vulnerability to contamination is important,\u201d Baur said. \u201cThis project aims to help small-scale producers have the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to manage and reduce their vulnerability in the same way that their larger, better-resourced counterparts do. We want to make sure that smaller-scale producers have access to what they need to provide the safest eggs possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Large-scale commercial egg farms are subject to strict federal food safety laws and U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. However, small-scale producers (those with fewer than 3,000 laying hens) are exempt from those rules. This regulatory gap means many backyard and small-farm producers operate without formal food safety plans and could benefit from increased guidance and knowledge on best practices to ensure safe eggs for their families, friends, and farmers markets where they sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSmall-scale producers are highly motivated and committed,\u201d Baur said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of \u2018small-scale producers need more rules,\u2019 but more that these producers need food safety management approaches that are designed to fit their operational model. They want to do the right thing, and this project will help them to know what the right thing is and how to implement it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike large commercial facilities, small producers may lack formal food safety training and rarely have a structured Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan, a foundational tool in professional food safety management that Gbaa is well familiar with, tailored to their unique production needs. Gbaa\u2019s background will be crucial as he looks at identified gaps, starting with surveying small-scale and backyard egg producers to measure their knowledge, attitude, practices and resource needs around food safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur goal is to develop a HACCP plan specifically tailored to the realities of resource-limited small farms, where time, money, and staff are often in short supply,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gbaa says he hopes the survey, and the HACCP tool that follows, will give New England\u2019s small-scale egg producers the practical guidance they need to keep their eggs and customers safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are not looking to scare people away from small-scale egg producers,\u201d Gbaa said, \u201cbut to be proactive and ensure preventive control of human food. Coming up with a uniform hazard plan for small-scale producers will offer guidance on critical control points like collecting eggs on time, washing, and refrigeration. This will help small farmers produce the healthiest eggs they can, for consumers and their own business bottom lines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n