A new four-year study led by Teagasc and funded by DAFM, investigating key issues in the management of microbial and chemical contamination of horticultural produce has been launched. The HortAssure project will seek to support the horticultural sector in mitigating the risks associated with microbiological and chemical contamination by developing evidence based knowledge regarding the sources of contamination. The project will look at current and new technologies to help reduce the risks of contamination. Some of this work will involve structured sampling of water sources and surfaces on commercial horticultural facilities to identify likely routes of exposure. It is by identifying potential routes of exposure that will allow the industry to take remedial actions to reduce the risk to their business and their consumers.
The project team is extremely keen to work directly with horticultural producers on this project, so if you are interested in finding out more please contact either Kaye.Burgess@teagasc.ie or Michael.Gaffney@Teagasc.ie.
