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 Robert Premier (MBiotech, MEnvSci, PhD)
Private Consultant
ex.Section Leader - Food Safety and Functional Foods (DPI Victoria)
(m) 0418 317 786
(b) 03 9355 3733
(e) robert.premier@consultant.com.au
Expertise:
- Food safety
- Functional foods
- Recycled water quality
Project involvement:
- Various HAL, RIRDC, ARC and AusAID and DPI-Vic projects
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 Food Safety Standards and Labelling for Native Plant Foods
Faragher, J. and Premier, R. (2008) RIRDC DAV-211A
Bush foods are becoming marketable commodities and the industry is in need of labelling and food safety training to succesfullymarket their products.
Food safety is of increasing importance to industries like native plant foods, as consumers, buyers and governments demand increased assurance that food is safe.
 The greatest industry need is for information, advice and assistance to meet the food safety requirements of buyers andlegislation, without it costing too much or taking too much time.
There are also ever changing legislative requirements for labelling. In addition, consumers and journalists are questioning the identification of "bush foods".
Labelling can promote the authenticity and value of the product. Good management of food safety and labelling are part of any developing industry's efforts to assure buyers of quality and to capture sales.
The report identifies food safety issues including biological issues, legislative and buyers' requirements. It provides practical food safety guidelines and a model food safety program to manage food safety risks.
See Also:
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Health risk of consuming vegetables irrigated with reclaimed wastewater
Hamilton A., Stagnitti F., Premier R., Boland A. (2006)
The use of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation of horticultural crops is commonplace in many parts of the world and this practice is likely to increase. The risks to human health arising from such practices depend upon:
- the concentration of pathogens in the source water,
- water treatment efficiency,
- volume of water contacting the crop,
- die-off rate of pathogens in the environment.
- amount of food consumed.
See Also:
- Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Modelling
Hamilton A., Stagnitti F., Kumarage S., Premier R. (2004)
Showed the additional risk to groups with higher vegetable consumption was negligable, though the risk to immuno-compromised individuals was considered higher.
Microbial Risk Models for Raw Vegetables Irrigated with Reclaimed Water
Hamilton A., Stagnitti F.,Premier R., Boland A. and Hale G. (2006)  Australian Research Council LP0455383
Quantitative microbial risk assessment models for estimating the annual risk of enteric virus infection associated with consuming raw vegetables that have been overhead irrigated with nondisinfected secondary treated reclaimed water were constructed.
Evaluation included several different scenarios of crop type, viral concentration in effluent, and time since last irrigation event. The mean annual risk of infection was always less for cucumber than for broccoli, cabbage, or lettuce.
Previously published decay coefficients were used to describe the die-off of viruses in the environment. For all combinations of crop type and effluent quality, the annual risks of infection was one infection or less per 10,000 people per year, providing that 14 days had elapsed since irrigation with reclaimed water.
Conversely, when the withholding period was only 1 day, no combination of crop or water quality met the standard.
Practices such as subsurface, furrow, or drip irrigation and postharvest washing/disinfection and food preparation could substantially lower risks and need to be considered in future models, particularly for developed nations where these extra risk reduction measures are more common.
See also:
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Phytochemical composition: A paradigm shift for food-health considerations
Robert Premier (2002) - (pdf, 71k)
 A new wave of research is addressing the newly developing interest in
heath-based foods. Phytochemical-enhanced products such as broccoli, tomato, oranges and berries are currently being evaluated for commercial exploitation.
Over the years, we've been told that an apple a day keeps the doctor away and later we heard that drinking green tea was a sure way to ward off illness. Now researchers contend certain 'functional foods' eventually could prevent disease and even change gene expression.
Australian scientists are exploring ways to enhance the phytochemical content of vegetable crops such as cabbage, broccoli and mustard greens through cross-breeding, novel harvesting methods and soil additives.
 Until recently plant breeders have been selecting varieties with better yield, appearance and taste that are suited to local climates and with improved pest resistance.
"By 2010 we will have phytochemical-rich horticultural products available," said Robert Premier, "Initially it will be a curiosity food but it's likely to become more mainstream," he said.
See also:
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 Guidelines for On-farm Food Safety for Fresh Produce 2004
Considerable confusion and uncertainty exists throughout the horticulture industry with regard to some of the technical aspects of on-farm food safety.
This is exacerbated by the number of food safety/QA standards and audit checklists that growers of fresh produce currently face.
 To help achieve greater consistency between on-farm foodsafety programs,
the grouppublished 'Guidelines for On-Farm Food Safety for Fresh Produce', in 2001.
These Guidelines quickly became a valuable resource for horticulture producers implementing
on-farm food safety programs.
Over the past three years 'the Guide' has been widely accepted by horticulture training providers/facilitators, QA scheme owners and major Australian retailers.
To keep the Guidelines relevant and up to date, DAFF and Horticulture Australia Limited convened a panel of experts to produce a revised edition.
This updated edition includes the most recent scientific information including chapters on 'Assessing the Risk of Contamination' as well as 'Testing Information' (including soil testing).
A Microbial Food Safety Guide for the Australian Vegetable Industry (2004) - (pdf, 564k)
See also:
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AIFST Fresh Produce Food Safety Summit - (April 2007)
 Fresh produce are an essential component of a healthy diet and the fresh produce industry is a vital
component of Australia’s agriculture. As we strive nationally to increase consumption of produce in
general we have to ensure also that they are as safe as possible with regard to food safety hazards.
This meeting brought together
stakeholders across the fresh produce supply chain along with regulators and scientists. This group discussed
trends in produce related food safety and what actions were needed to ensure our fresh produce is as
safe as possible.
Robert Premier from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries provided an overview of
challenges and emerging knowledge of microbiological hazards and fresh produce. Rob presented
data on the microbiological load on vegetables and the pitfalls of misinterpretation when testing for
bacterial indicators of hygiene and safety if inappropriate tests are performed and inadequate sampling
plans are used.
Dr Premier emphasised, that research has shown that sanitisers are able to
reduce - but not eliminate - bacterial contaminants. The risk of contamination is increased when leafy
vegetables are damaged and the internalisation of bacteria
influences bacterial survival and growth.
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Quality Assurance Program in Australia and South Asia - (2005)
 Quality assurance in the horticultural industry has become well established in Australia, on farm HACCP-based plans have been adopted due to pressures from supermarkets and other buyers including fresh markets.
Supermarket own systems and more general quality assurance (QA) systems have been used by growers to meet these new requirements. FreshCare, and SQF have been introduced across the country.
A review of QA parameters, such as chemical residues and microbiological contaminants, suggest that these QA systems have achieved some level of assurance.
 Local pressures, however, are not the only concern when it comes to QA. Iinternational demands for safe quality fruit and vegetables has meant that QA systems now need to be designed to satisfy export requirements.
In addition to food safety, international demands must also address the environment and worker’s health and safety.
Southeast Asian governments have taken the initiative here and have developed country specific QA systems suitable for their farmers to use - these include the SALM system in Malaysia, the Q system in Thailand, IndonGAP system in Indonesia and the newly announced system in the Philippines.
This presentation discusses the status of QA systems in Australia and Southeast Asia, including the pressures behind their establishment, and the major differences between them.
The presentation also covers the attempt by Southeast Asian governments to create a uniform standard through the development of ASEAN GAP, a good agricultural practices standard suitable for use by all 10 ASEAN member countries and the challenge that this standard poses.
See also:
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Australian project aids Burmese fruit, vegetable sector
 MYANMAR’S participation in a project funded by the Australian government will assist in raising quality standards in the fruit and vegetable sector, a senior government horticulturalist said last week.
The five-day workshop, attended by 20 government agricultural staff from throughout the country, was presented by the project’s director, Dr Robert Premier, together with another Australian specialist.,
The project was funded by the Australian government aid agency, AusAID, to upgrade quality assurance for fruit and vegetables in four ASEAN countries.
The general manager of the MAS extension division, U Hla Myo, said in a speech at the start of the workshop that farmers, traders and consumers needed to acquire more knowledge about safety and quality for fruit and vegetables, including the hazards posed by the use of chemicals in cultivation and processing. Those who attended the workshop would pass on their knowledge to farmers and traders.
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VG 98083 Postharvest bacterial rots and browning in lettuce
Pascoe S., Tomkins B., Premier R. (2002) - final report - extract (pdf, 663k)
Bacterial soft rots of lettuce and salad vegetables are a major problem in Australia.
Severe rots cause direct losses in the field, while mild rots cause storage or processing losses.
- One particular bacterial group implicated in leetuce browning are
the Fluorescent Pseudomonads which are important for the decomposition of plant waste. 
These bacteria are also the cause of several lettuce diseases including Varnish Spot and Bacterial soft rots, in the field and post-harvest storage.
- Fluorescent Pseudomonads live on plant surfaces, in water and in the soil. Numbers are particularly high in soils with fresh or decomposing plant material.
- The bacteria can be spread through splashing water/soil on to crops or by contaminated harvesting equipment (knives).
Damaged plant surfaces or roots often provide a point of entry for the
bacteria to infect the plant.
The
project assessed the number of Pseudomonas bacteria
in lettuce-growing soils and their ability to cause
browning of lettuce in storage.
 Natural levels of Fluorescent pseudomonad varied with temperature and soil type and were about ten thousand bacteria per gram of soil.
- The number of Fluorescent pseudomonads on freshly buried lettuce leaves quickly increased to around 1 million bacteria per gram of soil for the first 7 days.
Bacterial numbers did not return to natural levels until around day 16.
- The study suggests you should wait at least 2 weeks after harvest before planting seedlings in the same field.
This will allow naturally high levels of these bacteria to return
to normal levels and reduce the risk of infection.
- Good cool chain management will also reduce the potential for further
browning and rots to develop in the supply chain.
This project was funded by the Australian Vegetable
Industry Levy
and the Victorian
Department of Primary Industries.
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Dr Elizabeth Minchinton
Department of Primary Industries Victoria
Private Bag 15,
Ferntree Gully Delivery Centre,
VIC, 3156
Tel: 03 9210 9299
Fax: 03 9800 3521
Expertise:
- White Blister of brassicas
- Downy and powdery mildews
- Foliage diseases, predictive models and integration of management strategies for disease control
- Fungal and bacterial of diseases of tomatoes
- Diseases of bunching vegetables, brassicas, celery, parsley, parsnip and spring onions
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 VG
07070 Benchmarking
disease predictive models
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VG 06047
Disease predictive model for Septoria late blight in Celery
- Weather-based disease forecasting was able to control of Septoria late blight in Celery
- The system was able to nearly halve the cost of controlling septoria in celery crops.
- VG 06047 Interim progress report (pdf 31k)
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VG 06046 Management of root-rot diseases in Parsley
- 12 months extension of VG 04025 to refine the management and control of Parsley root rot.
- Fungicides reduced the incidence of the disease by 83-97% saving $22-27,000/ha.
- Causes and controls of parsley root rot in Queensland and Victorian crops included microparasites, salinity effects and tolerant varieties.
- VG 06046 final report - extract (pdf 91k)
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VG 05045 Management of Parsnip Canker
- Parsnip growers have reported severe losses of up to 80% from parsnip canker.
- Growers now have information on the cause, extent and possible predisposing factors for parsnip canker.
- VG 05045 final report - extract (pdf 84k)
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VG 04025 Scoping
study of root-rot diseases in parsley
- A 12 month scoping study identiied the specific cause of parsley root rot.
- Fungicides were able to reduce crop damage up to 92%, but these fungicides are not currently registered for use in parsley.
- VG 04025 final report - extract (pdf 316k)
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VG 04016 Scoping study
to manage Septoria late blight in celery
- A weather-based disease forecasting system was evaluated and found effective at reducing fungicide applications to control late blight in celery crops until canopy closure, but not beyond.
- VG 04016 final report - extract (pdf 278k)
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VG 04013 Management
of white blister (rust) in crucifer crops
- White blister, affects brassicas such as broccoli and devestated Victorian crops in 2001-2002.
- The initial source of disease not identified and no evidence that seed is the source.
- A number of fungicides are yet to be registered for use.
- VG 04013 final report - extract (pdf 147k)
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VG 02118 Control
of rust
on crucifers
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VG
01045 Control
of bunching vegetable diseases
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NY 97011 Intergated control of downy mildew on nursery seedlings
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NY 406 Downy mildew on nursery plants
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Earlier Work - DPI Victoria
- Control of powdery mildew (Oidium lycopersici) in processing tomatoes.
- Integrated Pest Management for fungal diseases of processing tomatoes.
- Control of downy mildew in Brassica seedlings
- Contingency plans for fire blight on pears in the Goulburn Valley
and other pome fruit districts.
- Control of black leg, black scurf and other postharvest storage rots
of seed potatoes.
- Control of black rot (Xanthomonas campestris) in Brassica seeds.
- Control of a bacterial leaf spot and stem rot disease of carnations.
- Epidemiology and control of bacterial head rot in Broccoli.
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Dr Hoong Pung
PERACTO Pty Ltd
16 Hillcrest Road,
Devonport,
TAS, 7310
Telephone 03 6423 2044
Fax 03 6423 4876
Expertise:
- Sclerotinia
- Grey mould
- Downy mildew
- White blister
- Rhizoctonia
- Potato diseases
Hoong Pung works on the development of new fungicides and strategies
for the sustainable management of major fungal diseases which affect
a wide range of horticultural crops across Australia.
Hoong has led and collaborated on research projects that have benefited
growers of vegetables, potatoes, onions, pyrethrum and poppies.
Much of Hoong's published work on vegetable
crops, including conference papers, workshop notes and extracts
from R&D reports, is available below: |
VG 05090 Green beans - Rhizoctonia and Sclerotinia control
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VN 05010 Onion white rot
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VN 05007 Post-plant fungicides to control for white rot in onions
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VG 04061 White Blister control in Brassicas
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VG 04021 New seed dressings for pest control
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VG 02105 Review of seed dressing technologies for pest control
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VG 01082 Broccoli head rot - its control and the role of wetting agents
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VG 00048 Sclerotinia - evaluation of biological controls
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VG 00031 Control of Downy mildew in Peas
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VX 00012 Enhanced Metalaxyl breakdown - implications for horticulture
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VG 99057 Soil health survey
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VG 97084 Integrated management of sclerotinia on beans
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VG 97051 Control of Ascochyta rot in peas
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VG 96105 Control of carrot diseases
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PERACTOSection last updated: 07/10/2008
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Caroline Donald
Department of Primary Industries Victoria
Private Bag 15,
Ferntree Gully Delivery Centre,
VIC, 3156
Tel: 03 9210 9222
Fax: 03 9800 3521
Expertise:
- Brassica diseases, particularly clubroot
- Potato diseases
- Molecular diagnostics
- Vegetable extension
Caroline received the prestigous Australian
Agricultural Industries: Young Innovators and Scientists Award in 2004. |
VG 07125 Best practice IPM strategies for control of major soilborne diseases.
To develop and encourage adoption of effective IPM strategies for key soilborne pathogens including Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and Sclerotinia in vegetable crops.
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VG 07010 Enhancing the plant immune response for improved disease control
To boost the plant immune response to provide long-lasting disease suppression of clubroot
and white blister in brassica vegetable crops.
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VG 04059 Development of an in-field diagnostic test for clubroot
The
DNA-based forensic test for clubroot developed by VG 03022 was combined with with UK technology to produce a 'pregnancy-style'
testing kit that can be used by growers or crop advisors in the field.
The test kit includes
plastic test strips and an extraction solution costs about
$10 and takes only three minutes.
Once growers have an idea of the clubroot status of their paddocks they can decide if they need to send samples in to a lab for a more detailed report.
The on-farm kit is based on antibodies and was developed in the UK, based on the clubroot DNA testing technology developed in Australia. The kit is still "in development" and is not yet being offered commercially.
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VG 04014 Better Brassicas – a coordinated approach to the dissemination of brassica R&D
Eleven Better Brassica Project workshops were conducted over five weeks, attracting 193 growers across Australia.
Workshop participants received presentation packs containing fact sheets covering all aspects for managing clubroot and other brassica diseases; several disease notes on white blister; newsletter articles about clubroot and white blister; and a poster designed for their packing sheds and offices.
CLUBROOT is a devastating and persistent soil-borne disease which is particularly severe in older market garden areas.
Infection occurs on roots at any stage of growth. Symptoms are not obvious until the final stages, when plants are stunted and wilt, particularly in hot-dry weather, with characteristic galls and a single-clubbed taproot.
When the roots of infected plants decay, they release millions of spores into the soil, ready for another cycle.
Researchers have identified 12 common cruciferous weeds and 10 non-cruciferous
plants - including rape, kale, swede and mustard - which can `host’ clubroot,
often without showing the symptoms, and spread it to vegetable crops.
Clubroot factsheets
White Blister factsheets
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VG 03022 Improved soil test for clubroot
This laboratory test provides an estimate of the amount of the clubroot pathogen within 48 hours of a soil sample being received. This will enable growers to identify the clubroot risk and apply the most cost-effective control strategy.
Field testing conducted at 51 sites across Australia showed that clubroot DNA could not be reliably extracted from certain soils, despite its presence being confirmed.
The extraction procedure was modified to provide
a more robust and reliable diagnostic test. |
VG 99008
Development of a rapid diagnostic test for clubroot (Faggian & Parsons, 2002)
Clubroot can survive in soil for up to 20 years, even without a host. This project developed an accurate test for clubroot to estimate the risk of disease prior to planting.
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Other Work (DPI Victoria)
- Ready reference guides for the crucifer industry.
- Integrated control of clubroot for quality export
and domestic crucifers.
- Processing Potato R & D program, Subprogram 3 - Soil amendments.
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Kevin Wilkinson
Statewide Leader, Ecosystems Analysis Department of Primary Industries,
Parkville
PO Box 4166 Parkville,
Victoria, 3052, Australia
Ph: 03 8341 2412
Fax: 03 9347 6056
Mob: 0423 040 708
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/science/ls.
Expertise:
- Safe use of manures
(fowl/chicken/poultry litter)
- Composting
- Organic soil amendments
Current work:
Investigating the economic and soil health benefits of using composted organic amendments in vegetable production. |
VG
01049 Strategies for the safe use of poultry litter in food crop production
Over the past 50 years, poultry litter has
replaced stable manure as the principal low
cost horticultural soil amendment on sandy
soils. Poultry litter can improve crop yields 10 to
20% by increasing the water holding capacity of
sandy soils and supplies essential
plant nutrients and trace
elements to grow our food crops.
Extensive studies of vegetable farms using poultry litter, did not
detect any human pathogenic (disease causing)
bacteria on any harvested leafy vegetable crops where the litter was incorporated into the soil prior to planting.
Growers using poultry litter in accordance with
the following guidelines can be confident
their produce will be safe for human
consumption :
- Only purchase poultry litter and organic products from HACCP accredited suppliers.
- Store litter as far as possible from mature crops, packing sheds and environmentally sensitive areas.
- Raw litter should be incorporated into the soil prior to planting.
- Avoid side-dressing crops with raw litter within 60 days of harvest.
- Certified composted litter can be side dressed until 14 days before harvest.
- Litter handling and application procedures should follow a HACCP program.
Composting factsheets:
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Dr Oscar Villalta
Department of Primary Industries Victoria
Private Bag 15,
Ferntree Gully Delivery Centre,
VIC, 3156
Tel: 03 9210 9222
Fax: 03 9800 3521
Expertise:
- Onion White Rot
- Sclerotinia
- Orchard diseases
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VG
07126 New approaches to control Sclerotinia diseases in vegetable
crops
New approaches to Sclerotinia control are being evaluated alone
and in combination with conventional methods. Strategies identified
as the most effective and economic will provide durable
disease control and increased productivity and sustainability of vegetable
production.
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VG 01096 Stop the Rot – Managing Onion White Rot in Spring Onions
Developed an integrated disease management program in
which chemical and biocontrol measures achieve a more sustainable
control of onion white rot in spring onions (shallots) and other
bunching Allium crops.
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VG 00048 New approach to sustainable management of Sclerotinia
Initial research into the biological and chemical control of
Sclerotinia lettuce drop and the use of soil amendment and cultural
strategies for the integrated control of
Sclerotinia diseases.
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