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62 2019 INDUSTRY RESOURCE DIRECTORY GAP are specific methods that, when applied to agriculture, create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome. There are numerous competing definitions of what methods constitute good agricultural practice. Among the most common are those promoted by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and those published by the United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Marketing Service. The United States Food and Drug Administration publication, "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables" (download it at www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/ProduceandPlanProducts/UCM169112.pdf), contains a small section regarding the toilets in fields where food is produced. The publication provides the following guidelines for toilet facilities and hand wash stations: • Toilet facilities should be accessible. The more accessible the facilities, the greater the likelihood that they will be used. Workers should always have the opportunity to use the facilities when they need to, not only when they are on break. This helps reduce the incidence of workers in the field or outside packing areas relieving themselves elsewhere (such as in fields). • Toilet facilities should be properly located. Toilet facilities in the field should not be located near a water source used in irrigation or in a location that would subject such facilities to potential runoff in the event of heavy rains. Runoff from improperly constructed and located toilet facilities has the potential to contaminate soil, water sources, produce, animals, and workers. • Toilet facilities and hand wash stations should be well supplied. Provide an adequate supply of toilet paper. Hand wash stations should be equipped with a basin, water, liquid soap, sanitary hand drying devices (such as disposable paper towels), and a waste container. • All facilities should be kept clean. Toilets and hand wash stations, whether attached to the toilet facility or located near it, should be cleaned on a regular basis. Containers used to transport or store water for hand washing should, on a routine basis, be emptied and thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and refilled with potable water. In addition to this, the Guide specifies the following regarding service of portable toilets: • Use caution when servicing portable toilets. Wastewater from portable toilet facilities that may drain into a field can contaminate fresh produce. Sewage transport trucks need direct access to toilet facilities to ensure proper collection and disposal of waste through a municipal sewage system or a subsurface septic tank system. Food safety has become an area of great importance due to the rise in food-borne illnesses. In the world's food supply, the most commonly known of these are salmonella and E. coli, but there are many others. Everyone has a shared interest in making sure these bacteria are not spread, and that's where Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) come in. AGRICULTURE AND PORTABLE SANITATION (GAP) Good agricultural practices vary from county to county and from crop to crop, but the goal is the same everywhere: keeping the food supply safe. Better worksites. Better weekends. Better world. EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT REDACTED Join us now at www.psai.org for access to this valuable information.