Food Safety Considerations and Design for Packing Sheds
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
This diagram, showing food safety considerations and design recommendations for packing sheds, is not intended to give actual dimensions and square footage since packing sheds can be any size, shape, and configuration. It can be as formal as a permanent building or a canopy at the edge of a field (four sticks and a lid). What really matters is allowing enough room to accomplish the tasks without spreading contamination into the finished product during packing. If produce washing is done, then it is crucial that unwashed product doesn't come into contact with washed produce and the workers doing the washing are clean themselves.
The washing station set up needs to have enough room to move produce in and out. The equipment set-up should consider good drainage to keep the floor as dry as possible, no pooling, or splashing onto clean produce.
Wash Line and Packing Shed Design for Food Safety (pdf; 333KB)
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Dry Beans
Eggplant
Ethnic Vegetables
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce / Leafy Greens
Melons
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkins / Gourds
Radishes
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Snap Beans
Squash - Summer
Squash- Winter
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Upcoming Events
Storage Crop Facility School: Large-Scale Vegetable (Potato and Cabbage)
December 1, 2020
Speakers from across the Northeast will be presenting on challenges and updates surrounding large-scale potato and cabbage storage. Join us for this FREE online event to hear about storage innovation and updating facilities, decreasing storage diseases, storage funding programs, and farm food safety considerations for storage facilities.
Storage Crop Facility School: Smaller-Scale Mixed Vegetable Storage
December 8, 2020
Join us for this FREE online event to hear the latest information on smaller-scale storage and storage of mixed vegetables. Speakers from across the Northeast and Midwest will be presenting on cold storage construction, humidity and ventilation management, tactics for better storage of produce, decreasing diseases in storage, funding opportunities, and farm food safety considerations for storage facilities.
2020 NYS Processing Vegetable Advisory Meetings
December 15, 2020 : Snap Bean Advisory
Processors and growers of snap beans are invited to this FREE online meeting to review the 2020 season and comment on pests and other issues that were encountered. Reports of the 2020 research projects funded by the New York Vegetable Research Association/Council will be given. A group discussion period will include the review of research priorities for the coming year. 0.75 DEC credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23 will be offered.
December 15, 2020 : Green Pea and Sweet Corn Advisory
Processors and growers of green peas and sweet corn are invited to this FREE online meeting to review the 2020 season and comment on pests and other issues that were encountered. Reports of the 2020 research projects funded by the New York Vegetable Research Association/Council will be given. A group discussion period will include the review of research priorities for the coming year. 1.0 DEC credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23 will be offered.
December 16, 2020 : Beet and Carrot Advisory Meeting
Processors and growers of beets and carrots are invited to this FREE online meeting to review the 2020 season and comment on pests and other issues that were encountered. Reports of the 2020 research projects funded by the New York Vegetable Research Association/Council will be given. A group discussion period will include the review of research priorities for the coming year. 1.0 DEC credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23 will be offered.