By Melanie L. Lewis Ivey and Sanja Ilic
Heavy rainfall and flooding can damage crops, but the most important concern after floodwater enters a field or garden is food safety. Floodwater can carry sewage, animal waste, agricultural runoff, chemicals, heavy metals, human pathogens, plant pathogens, and other contaminants. Unlike ordinary standing water that collects after rainfall or irrigation, floodwater has moved across the landscape and may have picked up contaminants along the way. For that reason, crops exposed to floodwater should be treated very differently from crops that simply experienced temporary pooling or waterlogged soil.
As Ohio and surrounding states have experienced unprecedented amounts of rain fall in a short period of time over the past few days, farmers and gardeners may be wondering what should I do with my crop?
If the Edible Part of the Crop Touched Floodwater, Do Not Eat or Sell It
The clearest recommendation is also the most important: if floodwater directly contacted the edible portion of a fruit or vegetable, that crop should not be harvested for human or animal consumption (FDA, 2011). This applies whether the crop grows above ground or below ground and regardless of whether it has a thick peel or rind. Washing, peeling, cooking, or processing flooded produce cannot be relied upon to make it safe because floodwater may contain microbial, chemical, and physical contaminants for which there is no dependable sanitation treatment. Flood-damaged produce should be discarded in a way that prevents it from contaminating unaffected crops, soil, water sources, harvesting containers, or equipment.
Source : osu.edu