Phillip Tocco
tocco@msu.edu
Telephone: 517-788-4292
MSU Extension
Good Agricultural Practices, Food Safety and Food and Animal Systems Educator
Jackson County Extension Office 1715 Lansing Ave., Suite 257Jackson, MI 49202
Tags: jackson, msu extension
Authored Articles
- Blueberry pick bucket food safety practices on your farm, July 29, 2019
- The next step to FSMA compliance: On-Farm Readiness Review, May 15, 2019
- Industry-specific produce safety guidelines, May 1, 2019
- Deadline for commenting on draft guidance on Produce Safety Rule approaches, April 18, 2019
- Water system mapping for food safety, February 20, 2019
- Water system food safety inspections, February 11, 2019
- Don’t wait for the water to clear regarding FSMA water testing requirements, February 1, 2019
- Find the right water testing lab for Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule compliance, January 16, 2019
- Worker training recordkeeping under FSMA Produce Safety Rule, December 7, 2018
- Laws about pesticides: Residues, November 2, 2018
- Avoiding food safety issues with frost-free hydrants, August 21, 2018
- What is considered a farm under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule?, June 18, 2018
- The $25,000 question: Am I covered under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule?, May 22, 2018
- Why you should worry about clean breaks and lot sizes, May 22, 2018
- Finer points of cleaning and sanitizing fruit and vegetable contact surfaces, April 10, 2018
- Process exemptions within the Food Safety and Modernization Act, February 28, 2018
- Compost recordkeeping: What do I really need to have?, February 28, 2018
- Some food hubs are not qualified end users under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, October 9, 2017
- Storing and applying compost under the Produce Safety Rule, August 9, 2017
- Factors to consider when purchasing used produce-processing equipment, May 30, 2017
- Practical pointers around submitting water samples for food safety, May 10, 2017
- On-farm food safety documentation: How much is enough?, May 3, 2017
- Compost use and FSMA compliance: What does FDA mean by compost?, May 3, 2017
- The difference between audits and inspections, March 16, 2017
- Turbidity in post-harvest wash water: Monitor and change when needed, March 16, 2017
- Having the right grower training for FSMA compliance, October 13, 2016
- Is GroupGAP an option for your farm?, August 8, 2016
- Post-harvest wash water management for shelf life and food safety, August 8, 2016
- Using Google Docs to create digital records, June 6, 2016
- First aid kits prevent produce contamination, June 6, 2016
- Do you have a plan to reduce risks from wildlife in your produce fields?, May 11, 2016
- Annual septic system inspections help ensure a passing food safety audit, May 11, 2016
- Agricultural water versus indirect water, March 29, 2016
- Ask the right questions before choosing a water testing lab for food safety, March 29, 2016
- Water sampling for Food Safety Modernization Act compliance, February 10, 2016
- Vegetable selection makes a difference in heavy metal accumulation, February 10, 2016
- Food Safety Modernization Act exempt farms still have work to do, January 19, 2016
- Revised Food Safety Modernization Act exemptions, January 19, 2016
- Jump start food safety on your fresh produce farm with Safe Food-A-Syst, July 2, 2015
- A simple method to reducing biological contamination in irrigation water, June 4, 2015
- FSMA compliance does not guarantee passage of a GAP audit, June 4, 2015
- Urban farming food safety issues, May 4, 2015
- Considerations before buying a food safety digital recordkeeping system, May 4, 2015
- Going with the “process” flow of fresh produce, April 7, 2015
- Risks posed by volunteers and visitors on produce farms, April 6, 2015
- Best features for a food safety digital recordkeeping, April 6, 2015
- The down and dirty on manure and food safety, March 4, 2015
- Dealing with irrigated crops and food safety, March 4, 2015
- Your feedback on Food Safety Modernization Act impact needed, February 5, 2015
- Property damage to fruit and vegetable production, February 2, 2015
- Proposed revised sampling protocol for FSMA compliance, October 31, 2014
- Proposed revised irrigation water standards for FSMA, October 31, 2014
- Constructively commenting on revised Food Safety Modernization Act rule, October 3, 2014
- Food Safety Modernization Act proposed revisions to produce rule made public, October 3, 2014
- Evaluating water sources to ensure safe fresh produce, August 28, 2014
- How long do I keep all this food safety paperwork?, August 27, 2014
- Food Code may bring changes to farmer’s markets, July 29, 2014
- Best practices for food safety when handling greens, July 29, 2014
- Livestock and fair food shouldn’t mix: Tips to keep you healthy at the fair, June 17, 2014
- FSMA compliant worker training: Doing it right every time, May 5, 2014
- Where does worrying about food safety in fresh produce end for the grower?, May 5, 2014
- FSMA and GAP are not the same, April 18, 2014
- Food safety when growing melons on your farm, March 14, 2014
- Proposed irrigation water standards, February 28, 2014
- Insuring against crop losses due to recalls: Are you covered?, February 6, 2014
- Fine points of water testing, February 6, 2014
- Rewritten Food Safety Modernization Act sections coming soon, January 17, 2014
- Developing a produce delivery form, December 20, 2013
- Maps make a difference in fresh produce safety, December 20, 2013
- Crafting a Water System Risk Assessment for a GAP Manual, November 25, 2013
- Assessing the risks associated with water quality on food safety, November 25, 2013
- Food Safety Modernization Act: Are you on the hook?, October 15, 2013
- Time is running out to comment on the Food Safety Modernization Act, October 10, 2013
- Recording noncompliance with food safety guidelines, October 2, 2013
- Following the flow of fresh produce, September 12, 2013
- Three little documents to comprehensive traceability of fresh produce, August 21, 2013
- Creating a preharvest food safety checklist, August 21, 2013
- Preharvest food safety pointers for cantaloupes and melons, July 26, 2013
- Remember all risk types when developing a food safety plan, July 22, 2013
- Evaluating the farmers market from a food safety perspective, June 5, 2013
- Risky fresh produce: What makes a particular type of fresh produce risky?, June 3, 2013
- Deadline extended to comment on Food Safety Modernization Act’s produce safety rule, May 20, 2013
- Food safety crisis management: The first 48 hours, April 17, 2013
- Traceability for Food Safety Purposes: What do I really need to know?, April 17, 2013
- Storing compost for fresh produce cropping systems, March 4, 2013
- Creating a culture of food safety on your farm, March 4, 2013
- Food safe compost use discussed in proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules, February 1, 2013
- Food Safety Modernization Act proposed produce safety rule open for comment, February 1, 2013
- Food safety in growing fresh produce is not optional, January 2, 2013
- Teach your workers well to avoid food in the produce field, December 13, 2012
- What qualifies as pesticide training for food safety audits?, November 15, 2012
- Standard Operating Procedures ensure farm workers do something the same way every time, November 14, 2012
- Imported or domestic: Searching for a high quality chestnut, October 9, 2012
- Evaluating refrigerated trucks to minimize foodborne illness risks, September 5, 2012
- Pointers for preventing glass contamination on the farm, September 5, 2012
- Register your visitors to ensure food safety compliance, August 6, 2012
- You can help your farm workers keep harvest containers for produce, August 6, 2012
- Harvest container hygiene: More than just washing totes, July 2, 2012
- Disciplining food safety violations: A key to an effective food safety plan, July 2, 2012
- When livestock and fair food collide: Tips to keep you healthy, June 4, 2012
- Cheap and easy method of reducing foodborne illness risk from harvest workers, May 9, 2012
- Can you improve the cleanliness of your harvest knives?, May 9, 2012
- Maintaining fresh produce cold chain reduces foodborne illness risk, April 9, 2012
- Minimizing foodborne illness risk to patrons at petting zoos, April 9, 2012
- Keep food safety in mind when buying equipment, March 2, 2012
- Livestock may not mix with fruit and vegetable production, March 2, 2012
- Dealing with water for irrigating, February 3, 2012
- Who is eating the produce that I grow?, February 3, 2012
- Putting contaminated produce and soils in their place, January 4, 2012
- Input Source Verification Letters for GAPs: What do you need?, January 4, 2012
- Mind your manure when working on GAP compliance, December 5, 2011
- Encourage proper toilet use with a clean portable toilet, November 2, 2011
- Focus your business motivation with a mission statement, November 2, 2011
- To keep food safe, limit eating and smoking in harvest areas, October 4, 2011
- Harvest container cleaning keeps people from getting sick, August 31, 2011
- How to have a web presence and not empty your bank account, August 31, 2011
- Tracing food one step forward, July 26, 2011
- Encouraging appropriate farmworker hygiene starts with the right equipment, July 26, 2011
- GAP compliant worker training: Doing it right every time, June 28, 2011
- Input source verification: Tracing food one step back, June 28, 2011
- Minding your pests in packing and storage to pass a GAP audit, May 27, 2011
- Are you ready for a GAP audit?, May 25, 2011
- Maintain equipment to avoid produce contamination, April 29, 2011
- Using chlorine bleach as a packing and washwater sanitizer, April 1, 2011
- Avoiding automatic failure of a GAP audit, March 18, 2011
- Save time and money: Ask your buyer what GAP you need, March 9, 2011
- Save time and money: Ask your buyer what GAP you need, March 4, 2011
- Conducting a pre-harvest risk assessment, February 17, 2011
Authored Documents
- Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) basics: Am I covered?, March 21, 2018
- The Food Safety Modernization Act: What you need to do?, August 17, 2016
- Food safety for small farmers, February 8, 2016
- Farm food safety, January 11, 2016
- Blood and Bodily Fluid Log Sheet Sample, March 16, 2015
- Blood and Bodily Fluids Policy Factsheet, March 16, 2015
- Water Testing Log,
- Grower Self Assessment,
- Mobile Digital Recordkeeping,
- Creating a Google Maps Field Map,
- Worker Training Record Template,
- Evaluating Refrigerated Trucks,
- Rodent and Bird Control,
- Interpreting Water Test Results,
- Maintaining a Cold Chain,
- Livestock and Food Production,
- Blood and Bodily Fluids Log Sheet Sample,
- Chlorine as a Sanitizer,
- Fence Perimeter and Field Inspection Log,
- Irrigated Crop Information Log Sheet,
- Writing a Mission Statement,
- Dealing With Irrigated Crops,
- Blood and Bodily Fluids Policy Factsheet,
- Cooler Temperature Log,
- Truck Checklist Log,
- Food Safe Compost Use,
- Example Field Map,
- Blood and Bodily Fluids Policy Factsheet,
- Postharvest Washing Best Practices,
- Taking a Water Sample,
- Considering Irrigation Water Sources,
- Produce Safety Risk Assessment,
- Chemical Sanitizer Monitoring Form,
- Manure Use,
- Refrigerated Truck Checklist,