Published 2021-09-26
Abstract
The Research & Industry Relations program of the National Mango Board helps the entire mango supply chain deliver a quality product to the U.S. consumer through research and extension meetings to help educate growers, shippers, packers, importers, retailers, and others. This program is divided into sub-programs that address key concerns of the mango industry. One such sub-program is Food Safety and Sustainability, which aims to provide science-based information to the mango industry using various tools to enhance the safety of mangos. It engages producers, packers, and other members of the mango industry in reducing their environmental and social footprints with easy-to-implement sustainability practices. These tools are versatile and are encompassed into both the mango food safety and mango sustainability websites. What is food safety? How can one deal with physical, chemical, and biological risk factors within the facility or farm? How sustainable is the farm and/or packinghouse? How can one become more sustainable? How can one create and implement an action plan that will lead to better sustainable practices? Both holistic and detailed answers are provided within the website and are available for download on smartphone, tablets, and computer devices at no cost. These tools are didactic and can be used to train and educate all personnel on the good manufacture and agricultural practices as well as the value and benefits of adopting sustainable practices.