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Produce-associated food-borne outbreaks have been increasingly implicated as the significant proportion of the annual incidence of food-borne illness worldwide. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentrations of indicator bacteria and the presence of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), and to characterize predictors associated with Salmonella contamination of retail produce from fresh markets and supermarkets in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 503 samples were collected during May 2018 and February 2019, comprised of sweet basil, spring onion, coriander, cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, and tomato, with conventional items from fresh open-air markets (n=167), conventional items from supermarkets (n=168), and organic items from supermarkets (n=168). The overall prevalence in these 503 items for fecal coliforms and E. coli was 84.3% and 71.4%, with mean concentrations (±standard deviation) of fecal coliforms and E. coli being (3.0×105±1.3×106) most probable number (MPN)/g and (1.8×105±1.1×105) MPN/g, respectively. The concentrations of fecal coliforms and E. coli were higher in produce sampled from fresh open-air markets than produce from supermarkets; similarly, these bacterial indicators were higher from produce grown under conventional methods than certified organic produce. The prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella was 4.8% and 0.4%, respectively, but no positives were found for E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. The predominant Salmonella serovar was Stanley (30.8%). Based on logistic regression, the odds of Salmonella contamination were significantly (P

New diseases are causing changes in consumer behavior and product consumption, whether or not people choose to buy organic products. The cause has a crucial role in directing behavior. Both reasons for and against affect attitudes and transfer purchaser intentions. Therefore, using behavioral reasoning based on behavioral reasoning theory, the researcher has researched the analysis of consumer factors influencing attitudes and the intent to purchase organic products (BRT). A quantitative research study using questionnaires was conducted on a sample of 500 organic agricultural product customers in Bangkok, Thailand. Summarizing the results of the coefficients within the structural model was tested with four variables: reasons for, reasons against, attitudes, and purchase intent. It was found that coefficients Reasons against purchasing organic products are negatively associated with attitude towards organic products (-0.0292), and attitude towards organic products mediates the relationship between reasons against purchasing organic products and organic purchase intention (-0.21). The findings demonstrated a direct correlation between attitude, reason, and purchase intention. The decision to buy organic products was unconnected to the reason against. However, some attitudes continue to serve as a conduit for connecting reason and purchase intents. The conclusions have important implications for marketers and decision-makers using research data. It can be used to successfully and appropriately plan for the production and distribution of organic agricultural products to meet the demands of more consumers. This will lead to the growth of the nation's organic agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profitability of farms in the northeastern U.S. is hampered by the high cost of production in the region. Production of high-value crops such as organic produce is one of the solutions to keep these farms viable in the region. However, production challenges and limited information related to marketing are likely to hamper the potential growth of organic agriculture in the northeastern U. S. A logit model was developed to predict who is more likely to buy certified organic produce using 1,100 respondents in the Mid-Atlantic region. About 87% of the consumers were willing to buy certified organic produce, and the remaining 13% were not. While 6% of respondents stated that they would not pay slightly more for organic produce, nearly 43 % of the respondents stated that they would pay more than 10 cents premium for a dollar’s worth of organic produce. The results indicate that those who have a graduate degree, those who are influenced by an eco-friendly label, country of origin label, or pesticide-free label are more likely to purchase certified organic produce. Producers and marketers of certified organic vegetables and fruits can target customers with these specific traits to enhance their sales and profitability.

Bacterial content of fresh vegetables that are often eaten raw represents a risk factor for consumers, and the presence in these produce of antibiotic-resistant bacteria constitutes an additional food safety concern. We have compared the Enterobacteriaceae content, as well as the antibiotic resistances of bacterial isolates, in samples of different types of fresh vegetables (conventional an organic produce, fresh-cut vegetables and prepared salads) marketed in Valencia (Spain) in order to find possible differences among these vegetable types. Bacterial isolation, identification and resistance assays to eleven relevant chemotherapeutics agents were performed according to standard microbiological procedures. A total of 195 bacterial isolates (from 230 vegetable samples) were compared. All vegetable types carry a variety of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, with a significant frequency of resistant isolates to one or more (up to three, four or five antibiotics, depending on the vegetable type). Enterobacter spp. (mainly E. cloacae) and Klebsiella spp. (K. oxytoca and K. pneumoniae) were the most frequent in conventional, fresh-cut vegetables and prepared salads (60-77% of isolates), whereas in organic produce the most frequent species were Pantoea agglomerans (24%), Serratia marcescens (16%) and E. cloacae (13%). Fresh-cut produce had the highest content of bacterial burden and bacterial diversity, indicating that the sanitizing methods are not effective enough and should be improved. Organic vegetables showed a higher bacterial diversity and a lower frequency of antibiotic resistances, as compared with conventional produce, indicating that organic farming practices may favor microbial diversity and partially prevent selection and development of resistant bacteria. Therefore, it could be relevant to include the detection of antibiotic-resistant non-pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae species in fresh vegetables in the epidemiological surveillance routine to quantify dissemination of multi-resistances in non-hospital environment and to evaluate the potential role of consumption of fresh vegetables in spreading resistances into community.

There is a popular myth or fallacy based on the idea that organic fruits and vegetables are always more expensive than conventional products. To assess whether this statement is true, a qualitative and quantitative research was conducted between September and December 2017, involving four supermarkets and seven outdoor markets, located in Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. This statement was confirmed for the research conducted in supermarkets, but not for outdoor markets, where some organic products are cheaper than conventional ones. In fact, supermarkets sell organic products at higher prices and, normally, only the upper middle class has access to the products, but the consumer will have the option to buy conventional products at lower prices. Conventional supermarket products serve a larger number of consumers, including those with lower incomes. Most outdoor market traders are farmers who sell their own harvested products. Thus, these producers set their own prices, which are more attractive to the consumer; however, prices may vary. Due to price differences between supermarkets and free markets, consumers in general, and especially low-income consumers, obtain affordable, healthy, fresh and seasonal products, especially in outdoor markets. It is concluded that the best option for the low-income consumer is to buy organic products in open-air markets, since in these locations’ prices are generally cheaper, the products are healthier and fresher. The consumer also has access to diverse "seasonal" products, which are even cheaper and fresher are offered throughout the year, thus allowing the consumer to have a healthy and diverse diet throughout the year.

This research analyzes consumers’ different purchasing attitudes in traditional and on-line markets. Italy’s on-line direct selling process for organic farm products is still in its formative phase, and the prospective developments mark an interesting research area, not least because it may represent a tool to integrate the relationship with customers and improve companies’ marketing strategies. The research carried out on the direct selling on-line channels allowed the authors to prove a direct and indirect utility for the choice of organic food products. Information obtained with word-of-mouth among consumers seems to be playing an increasingly relevant role in the purchasing process of the virtual community, representing a strong generator of messages and experiences both in virtual and traditional markets. This paper analyzes the behavior of consumers to understand whether it is conditioned more by off-line than on-line channels and which parameters condition the purchasing process. The research confirms that off-line channels for organic products condition the consumers’ choices, linked to traditional word-of-mouth as well as to experiential and sensory direct marketing contact with the producer. An inverse behavior was observed with positive conditions that mostly emanate from on-line channels in the process of buying organic products. The on-line purchasing process involves the system of information linked to the product, i.e., the e-community, which allows the product to be shown together with the comments, evaluations, and recommendations of consumers on the net, reducing the effects generated by the packaging and the brand.

The purpose of the research is to develop an innovative model of developing agrarian enterprises, which will make possible to increase their competitiveness at the expense of implementing modern technologies, types of produce, methods of management, strategy of development. The methodology of forming the innovative model of development at agrarian enterprises considered two types of analyses (internal and external) and included the following stages: analysis of the existing situation; analysis of the external environment; formation and selection of the optimal development strategy; implementation of the selected strategy; monitoring over the process of implementing the strategy. Results were presented in the form of the system for providing ecologically safe agrarian business. Practical results include the formed methods and mechanisms of their implementation towards: provision of the steady development in agribusiness of the region based on the innovative scheme by developing and supporting the organic production; increased employment in rural areas and, as a consequence, partial solution to social problems; provision of population with high-quality local ecologically safe produce. Value/originality. The originality is determined by the implementation of the process of greening the agricultural production in the context of applying alternative management systems, in which agrarian enterprises are considered as the economic ecological system, which is based on rational and ecologically grounded methods of production, by providing the quality of the produce and raw material, production efficiency as well as the minimal impact on the environment and production efficiency.

The purpose is to study and analyse the prospects for development of economic aspects of organic beekeeping in Ukraine.The article deals with the main trends of greening of life, in particular those related to the beekeeping industry. The most promising activities are outlined and a number of factors that can be used by the entities to form the entrepreneurial potential of rural theories are identified. Beekeeping is the oldest human industry with a centuries-old history and Ukraine is recognized in the world as the homeland of cultural beekeeping. This branch of agriculture in the country provides both pollination of entomophilous crops and the production of various beekeeping products for the needs of the population and for various industries. Methodology. The expediency of introducing organic beekeeping methods is reflected. Requirements for production of organic beekeeping according to the Ukrainian legislation and regarding the requirements of the EU are covered. Results. The certification procedure is described and the certification bodies operating in the territory of Ukraine are characterized. The trends and the state of the organic beekeeping market are reflected, the concepts of “price” and “value” of organic produce are defined. A number of factors affecting the functioning of the beekeeping industry were identified, risks identified and measures taken to minimize them. Value/originality. For effective functioning of the industry it is suggested to use marketing channels and marketing strategies based on foreign experience and taking into account the Ukrainian specificity. The problems of organic beekeeping have been generalized, the main priorities have been identified and the ways of realization of the set tasks have been proposed. Therefore for the effective functioning of the organic beekeeping industry, it is first necessary: to use available natural and climatic potential (protected areas and certified agricultural lands); to develop special regulations and certification system that are adapted to international and European requirements and implement them in production and society; to create an effective mechanism of state support for enterprises that transform their own production and are in the transition period (low credit rates, legal support, compensation for the cost of organic certification) and control; to support and stimulate the development of the organic market through the dissemination of information, the establishment of advisory services and research and educational centers; to enter the international market of organic products as a finished product with its own brand and added value and not just raw materials. All this will increase the number of organic enterprises, employment and the income of producers.

Our paper explores the factors influencing the consumers who buy organic food. Analysis of these factors enabled us to sort the consumers into groups based on their gender, age, education, and other identifiers. Further research then revealed more detailed shopping preferences of each one of those groups. The findings generated recommendations for producers and organic produce vendors on the best way to provide target marketing for different groups of consumers and therefore increase their sales of organic produce and food made from organic produce. Considering the use of categorical data, contingency tables and correspondence maps served as the best representation and processing tools. Data analysis showed that organic produce is most frequently purchased by respondents in the age of 45+ years, who also tend to spend more money for this range of products. At the same time, these would be the respondents, who struggle the most when recognizing organic produce and who have often never seen any advertisement for it. The respondents aged 25 years and less tend to purchase organic produce least frequently; they also often do not care about the origin of organic produce. Almost the same applies to families with multiple children. However, young respondents often grow their own organic produce. There is still a not insignificant percentage of consumers, who consider organic produce to be expensive and who do not believe in their qualities. As it turns out, when it comes to organic produce the respondents purchase most frequently fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products.

The profitability of farms in the northeastern U.S. is hampered by the high cost of production in the region. Production of high-value crops such as organic produce is one of the solutions to keep these farms viable in the region. However, production challenges and limited information related to marketing are likely to hamper the potential growth of organic agriculture in the northeastern U. S. A logit model was developed to predict who is more likely to buy certified organic produce using 1,100 respondents in the Mid-Atlantic region. About 87% of the consumers were willing to buy certified organic produce, and the remaining 13% were not. While 6% of respondents stated that they would not pay slightly more for organic produce, nearly 43 % of the respondents stated that they would pay more than 10 cents premium for a dollar's worth of organic produce. The results indicate that those who have a graduate degree, those who are influenced by an eco-friendly label, country of origin label, or pesticide-free label are more likely to purchase certified organic produce. Producers and marketers of certified organic vegetables and fruits can target customers with these specific traits to enhance their sales and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial content of fresh vegetables that are often eaten raw represents a risk factor for consumers, and the presence in these produce of antibiotic-resistant bacteria constitutes an additional food safety concern. We have compared the Enterobacteriaceae content, as well as the antibiotic resistances of bacterial isolates, in samples of different types of fresh vegetables (conventional an organic produce, fresh-cut vegetables and prepared salads) marketed in Valencia (Spain) in order to find possible differences among these vegetable types. Bacterial isolation, identification and resistance assays to eleven relevant chemotherapeutics agents were performed according to standard microbiological procedures. A total of 195 bacterial isolates (from 230 vegetable samples) were compared. All vegetable types carry a variety of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, with a significant frequency of resistant isolates to one or more (up to three, four or five antibiotics, depending on the vegetable type). Enterobacter spp. (mainly E. cloacae) and Klebsiella spp. (K. oxytoca and K. pneumoniae) were the most frequent in conventional, fresh-cut vegetables and prepared salads (60-77% of isolates), whereas in organic produce the most frequent species were Pantoea agglomerans (24%), Serratia marcescens (16%) and E. cloacae (13%). Fresh-cut produce had the highest content of bacterial burden and bacterial diversity, indicating that the sanitizing methods are not effective enough and should be improved. Organic vegetables showed a higher bacterial diversity and a lower frequency of antibiotic resistances, as compared with conventional produce, indicating that organic farming practices may favor microbial diversity and partially prevent selection and development of resistant bacteria. Therefore, it could be relevant to include the detection of antibiotic-resistant non-pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae species in fresh vegetables in the epidemiological surveillance routine to quantify dissemination of multi-resistances in non-hospital environment and to evaluate the potential role of consumption of fresh vegetables in spreading resistances into community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic products are obtained by processes which are friendly to the environment, by crop techniques that consider both the attributes of final product and production method. The consumption of organic food has increased in recent years as a result of its direct impact on consumer health, lifestyle and social convenience, as well as on the environment and sustainable development. The demand for organic products in India has been growing significantly during the last five years. Consumers are willing to pay more for organic products. This article investigates the customers' perception and attitude towards organic products. The data was collected from 200 respondents using questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that the willingness of consumers to buy organic products is influenced by limited and erratic supply, higher price of products and very limited access and information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlight • Forty-two primary and secondary metabolites were assigned. • Changes occurred during the germination and sprouting processes. • Sugar and amino acid metabolism pathways were activated under energy deficit. • Transcription of related genes confirmed the metabolic hypothesis. Abstract Germination and sprouting are regulated by the energy status. In the present study, mung bean seeds were treated with adenosine triphosphate and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). The metabolomic changes during development of mung beans under different energy statuses were investigated. In total, 42 metabolites were identified. Principal component analysis revealed that the featured compounds produced in seeds were oleic, linoleic, and succinic acids. Sugars, including maltose, sucrose, and glucose were related to sprouting. Mung bean seeds utilised diverse energy resources and produced higher succinic acid content. Sugars and secondary metabolites accumulated in sprouts. Nitrogen, sugar, and amino acid metabolism pathways contributed to this physiological process. DNP caused an energy deficit, which resulted in the consumption and translation of glucose. Higher contents of other saccharides and amino acids were observed. The transcriptional results further confirmed our metabolic hypothesis. In conclusion, sufficient energy supply is crucial for sprout development and nutritive metabolite synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The sanitising effect of low concentration acidic electrolysed water (AEW, free available chlorine (FAC): 4 mg/L) combined with levulinic acid (LA, 3% v/v) on fresh organic lettuce during 7-day storage was evaluated. The combined sanitising method showed additional bactericidal efficacy against naturally existing microbiota, while LA alone and combined with AEW could reduce survival population of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Listeria innocua Seeliger ATCC 33090 inoculated on lettuce surface effectively, with 3.5–4.0 log CFU/g reduction for both during storage. Moreover, the modified Gompertz model provided a good fitness to the sanitising results during storage, with highest R2 in AEW group for E. coli (0.99) and in combination group for L. innocua (1.00), respectively. In addition, the physicochemical properties of organic lettuce treated by each sanitising treatment were not changed significantly during storage. Epifluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the cell permeability and morphology of E. coli and L. innocua were changed after sanitising treatments, with damaged cell membrane and disordered cellular structure in different degrees. Besides, the size of cells became smaller after combined sanitising treatment, with 2.12 and 1.24 μm2 for E. coli and L. innocua , respectively, indicating some cytoplasm leakage. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed the number and intensities of the protein bands of E. coli were reduced, while those of L. innocua remained similar after sanitising treatments. The results suggest that low concentration AEW combined with LA is a potential effective approach to sanitise organic produce. Highlights • Low concentration acidic electrolysed water was combined with levulinic acid. • Combination treatment showed broad spectrum bactericidal effect on organic lettuce. • Cell membrane permeability and morphologies were damaged by combination treatment. • Whole cell protein profiles were changed under combination treatment. • Combination treatment is promising for sanitisation in organic produce industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The sanitising effects of combined lactic acid (LA, 2%, v/v) and low-concentration sodium hypochlorite (SH, 4 mg/L) on Listeria innocua were investigated. The disinfectant kinetics and percentage of injured cells showed that the combined treatment resulted in dramatic inactivation of L. innocua after 60 s. The Weibull model with a high R2 (1.00) and low root mean squared error (RMSE) (0.19) and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) (−7.58) was verified as the most superior model to describe effects of the combination treatment. Protein leakage and the fluorescence intensity ratio revealed that LA might disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane rapidly and that SH could synergistically promote the sanitising effect. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed notable morphological changes in the combination treated cells, which presented lower width (0.73 μm) and height (0.29 μm), and increased roughness (10.37 nm). Moreover, massive leakage of intracellular components indicated severe cell collapse. The antimicrobial effects on organic broccoli sprouts showed that the combined treatment resulted in reductions of 0.82, 1.51, and 1.77 log colony forming units (CFU)/g fresh weight (FW) for aerobic bacteria, yeasts and moulds, and inoculated L. innocua at day 0. In addition, there were no significant differences of sensory quality results between treatment and control groups and they were all greater than the acceptance limit. Thus, the disinfection treatments had no negative effects on the storage quality of the organic broccoli sprouts. The combined treatment could be a potential sanitising strategy for organic sprouts. Highlights • Killing curves of L. innocua by lactic acid and sodium hypochlorite were modelled. • Sanitising treatments caused membrane and oxidative injury to L. innocua. • Morphological changes of L. innocua were quantified using atomic force microscopy. • The treatments did not negatively affect the quality of the broccoli sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzes consumers' different purchasing attitudes in traditional and on-line markets. Italy's on-line direct selling process for organic farm products is still in its formative phase, and the prospective developments mark an interesting research area, not least because it may represent a tool to integrate the relationship with customers and improve companies' marketing strategies. The research carried out on the direct selling on-line channels allowed the authors to prove a direct and indirect utility for the choice of organic food products. Information obtained with word-of-mouth among consumers seems to be playing an increasingly relevant role in the purchasing process of the virtual community, representing a strong generator of messages and experiences both in virtual and traditional markets. This paper analyzes the behavior of consumers to understand whether it is conditioned more by off-line than on-line channels and which parameters condition the purchasing process. The research confirms that off-line channels for organic products condition the consumers' choices, linked to traditional word-of-mouth as well as to experiential and sensory direct marketing contact with the producer. An inverse behavior was observed with positive conditions that mostly emanate from on-line channels in the process of buying organic products. The on-line purchasing process involves the system of information linked to the product, i.e., the e-community, which allows the product to be shown together with the comments, evaluations, and recommendations of consumers on the net, reducing the effects generated by the packaging and the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroponic produce is gaining popularity due to its suitability for urban agriculture. The general public also considers that hydroponic produce is free from microbiological contamination. In this study, we compared the frequency and abundance of tetracycline-resistant and sulphadiazine-resistant bacteria and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these isolates in conventional, organic, and hydroponic lettuce sold in retail. We also determined the frequency of samples carrying tetB, tetX, sul1, sul2, and int1 genes by PCR and further quantified the copy number of tetX, sul1, and int1 genes in samples positive for these genes using qPCR. As expected, the number of resistant bacteria and the MICs of these isolates were lowest in hydroponic lettuce and highest in organic lettuce. All tested resistant genes, except int1, were detected in samples of all three production methods, but no significant difference was observed between the three groups in the frequency of samples carrying the resistance genes examined or in their copy number. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study directly reporting the existence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in hydroponic vegetables sold in retail. The result highlights that the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria contamination in hydroponic produce should be further investigated.

In addition to environmental pollution issues, social concerns about the sustainability, safety, and quality of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have been increasing. In order to evaluate if there were any microbiological differences between samples of organic and conventional lettuce, a wide range of parameters were tested, including pathogens and indicator organisms: the enumeration of Escherichia coli; the detection of Salmonella spp.; the detection/enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes; the enumeration of lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. yeasts and molds, and Enterobacteriaceae. This study also evaluated the chemical safety of the lettuce samples, quantifying the nitrate concentration and 20 pesticides (14 organochlorine and 6 organophosphorus pesticides). Significant differences (p < 0.05) between the conventional and organic samples were only detected for the counts of total microorganisms at 30 °C. Pathogens were absent in all the samples. The analytical method, using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) approach for pesticide extraction, was suitable for detecting the targeted analytes; the limit of quantification (LOQ) was between 0.6 and 1.8 µg/kg (lower than the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established by EU legislation). In three organic lettuce samples, one organochlorine pesticide (α-HCH) was observed below the MRLs. For the samples analyzed and for the parameters investigated, except for the total mesophilic counts, the organic and conventional lettuces were not different.

Our paper explores the factors influencing the consumers who buy organic food. Analysis of these factors enabled us to sort the consumers into groups based on their gender, age, education, and other identifiers. Further research then revealed more detailed shopping preferences of each one of those groups. The findings generated recommendations for producers and organic produce vendors on the best way to provide target marketing for different groups of consumers and therefore increase their sales of organic produce and food made from organic produce. Considering the use of categorical data, contingency tables and correspondence maps served as the best representation and processing tools. Data analysis showed that organic produce is most frequently purchased by respondents in the age of 45+ years, who also tend to spend more money for this range of products. At the same time, these would be the respondents, who struggle the most when recognizing organic produce and who have often never seen any advertisement for it. The respondents aged 25 years and less tend to purchase organic produce least frequently; they also often do not care about the origin of organic produce. Almost the same applies to families with multiple children. However, young respondents often grow their own organic produce. There is still a not insignificant percentage of consumers, who consider organic produce to be expensive and who do not believe in their qualities. As it turns out, when it comes to organic produce the respondents purchase most frequently fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaponics is an effective method to practice sustainable agriculture and is gaining popularity in the US; however, the microbial safety of aquaponically grown produce needs to be ascertained. Aquaponics is a unique marriage of fish production and soil-free produce (e.g., leafy greens) production. Fish are raised in fresh water tanks that are connected to water filled beds where fruits and vegetables are grown. The fish bi-products create nutrient-rich water that provides the key elements for the growth of plants and vegetables. The objective of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the microbial safety and quality of aquaponic lettuce and soil grown lettuce (conventional, bagged, certified organic, and field lettuce). Following this, an intervention study was performed to combat foodborne pathogen surrogates (Salmonella and E. coli), spoilage, and fecal microorganisms using 2.5% acetic acid. The results of the comparative analysis study showed that aquaponically grown lettuce had significantly lower concentration of spoilage and fecal microorganisms compared to in-soil grown lettuce. The intervention study showed that diluted vinegar (2.5% acetic acid) significantly reduced Salmonella, E. coli, coliforms, and spoilage microorganisms on fresh lettuce by 2 to 3 log CFU/g. Irrespective of growing methods (in-soil or soilless), it is crucial to incorporate good agricultural practices to reduce microbial contamination on fresh produce. The intervention employed in this study can be proposed to small farmers and consumers to improve quality and safety of leafy greens.

The article presents a method of parallel optimization of structure of sowing areas for the calculation of economic-mathematical models. There models could be applied for traditional and oriented way towards organic production the land use system, characterized by the introduction of an additional unit of environmental criteria restrictions. We supposed that the provision of land suitable for organic production, gross production volume of organic products and the cost of its production. Based on the proposed methodology, the mathematical model proved its effectiveness of the functioning of the zonal agricultural ecosystem "Foothills of Altai". We calculated that the turnover of land suitable for organic production and the level of profitability was of 39.7% against 17.3% at optimization of the structure of sown areas under traditional agricultural production that was subject to full involvement in production of agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lately an increasing influence environmental costs on the performance of companies in all sectors, which means the food sector and food retail. That is why they recently paid, both in theory and in practice, all the more attention. With that in mind, this paper examines the determinants and dynamics of the specific cost structure of the environment, and their impact on the performance of the retail food. Three major categories of environmental costs in the food retail are: energy use, carbon emissions and water use. It is necessary to effectively manage them in order to "optimize" their influence, as well as the total cost of environmental performance in the food retail market. For this purpose it is necessary to develop appropriate strategies and perform placement relevant methods of cost management environment as important determinants and components of the overall sustainable value (environmental value, social value and economic value) in food retail. In the context of the development should be considered so. "Green business", especially green building retail, private label and sell organic products.

The article presents methods of agroecological production in Europe and the U.S., the basic principles and methods of organic farming in Ukraine, grounded introduction of innovative technologies in organic production activities of agricultural enterprises.В статье приводятся методы ведения агроэкологического производства продукции в странах Европы и США, рассматриваются основы и способы ведения органического земледелия в Украине, обосновано внедрение инновационных технологий органического производства в деятельности аграрных предприятий.

Olive farming is one of the most important occupations in Messenia, Greece. The region is considered the largest olive producer in the country and it is recognized as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Kalamata olive oil, which is considered extra fine. In response to the declining trend of organic olive farming in Greece, this study assesses to what extent organic olive farming in Messenia provides a financially and environmentally competitive alternative to conventional olive farming. In this study, 39 olive farmers (23 conventional and 16 organic) participated in interviews based on questionnaires. The results showed that organic olive farming is significantly more profitable than conventional farming, primarily because of a higher price for organic olive oil. Despite this, the majority of the conventional farmers perceived a low profit from organic farming as the main constraint to organic olive farming. All farmers agreed that organic olive farming contributed to a better environment, health and quality of olive oil. Organic farmers used fewer synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and applied more environmentally-friendly ground vegetation management techniques than conventional farmers. Overall, organic farming was found to provide a competitive and sustainable alternative to conventional olive farming in Messenia.

Organic production in intensive greenhouse operations, while maintaining soil health and sustainability, is a challenging task. Organic greenhouse crops must be rotated, but the rotations are short, so that rapid buildup of pest and pathogen populations can occur to levels causing significant damage. Heavy soil infestations together with the need to maintain profitable production forces the farmer to use effective control measures, while trying to maintain soil health and quality. If resistant cultivars or cultivars grafted on resistant rootstocks are not available, some form of soil disinfestation may be needed to eliminate the majority of root pathogens and pests in the soil. Soil steaming creates a “biological vacuum” that is prone to re-invasion by pathogens and pests. Selecting a soil treatment that preserves the biological equilibrium in soil, enhances the development of natural disease suppressiveness and provides an increased growth response is preferred. This is especially important for intensive organic greenhouse production, where a healthy soil is a prerequisite for the profitable production of healthy crops. Soil health can be promoted by aerobic soil disinfestation (“biofumigation”), anaerobic soil disinfestation, solarization, and a combination of these treatments. Here, we present a variety of strategies and approaches for the promotion of soil health and disease suppression in organic greenhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, organically, and locally grown varieties of carrot, tomato, rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry, and bell peppers were analyzed by differential pulse voltammetry to determine the impact of cultivation conditions on produce antioxidant content. The potential (indicating antioxidant activity) and area (indicating antioxidant capacity) of the primary peaks were evaluated. Overall, no consistent trends were observed across cultivation conditions, suggesting that cultivation conditions have minimal impact on antioxidant content. This study revealed differential pulse voltammetry to be a sensitive and rapid method for antioxidant determination, with a detection and quantitation limit of 8.38 × 10−5and 2.79 × 10−4mol/L, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents results of a study assessing consumers’ local and organic fresh produce purchasing habits in New Hampshire, including willingness to pay estimations, determining the consumers’ definition of local, consumers’ perceptions of local and organic fresh produce, and identifying demographic trends. This study aims to provide growers with consumer information that may help with crop selection, growing technique selection, and pricing. It will also provide awareness into the possible opportunity for agricultural growth in New Hampshire communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fresh produce is usually eaten raw without cooking or heating, which may increase the probability of foodborne infection. The microbiological quality of 11 types of fresh, raw vegetables (romaine lettuce, sesame leaves, crown daisy, garlic chives, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, leek, chili pepper, capsicum, and zucchini) purchased at retail markets in Iksan, Korea as affected by cultivation method (environmentally friendly vegetables [organic, pesticide-free, and low-pesticide vegetables] and conventionally grown vegetables) and harvest season was determined. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were not detected in all samples of vegetables tested. Aerobic mesophiles (>6 log cfu/g) were detected in environmentally friendly romaine lettuce and crown daisy and environmentally friendly and conventionally grown garlic chives, which also contained coliforms (>3 log cfu/g). Sesame leaf and crown daisy (regardless of cultivation method), as well as conventionally grown romaine lettuce and leek, contained >1 log cfu/g of E. coli. The overall microbiological quality of environmentally friendly and conventionally grown vegetables was not significantly different ( P > 0.05). However, there were seasonal effects on populations of coliforms and generic E. coli on vegetables. The greatest numbers of microorganisms were isolated from environmentally friendly or conventionally grown vegetables purchased in winter. The vegetables, regardless of cultivation method or season, should be subjected to appropriate antimicrobial treatment to enhance their microbial safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of organic compounds is a rather recent process and has experienced several changes since 1999, with three regulation landmarks in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Very strict laws for the production and the commercialization of organic products are extant. Law 10831 of 2003 and Decree 6323 of 2007 were the watershed for many producers of organic compounds, since the certification of their products became mandatory. Current analysis identifies the factors that contribute towards the loss of the certificate of organic compounds. Research employed the survey method with the sampling total referring to the ex-certificated producers of organic products in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Results show that impeding factors for the maintenance of the organic certificate are independent of the producers´ control, or rather, they are factors related to the external environment such as public policies that trigger the sector and costs for the renewal of the certificate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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