Most commercial produce is wholesome and free of microorganisms that could result in illness under common and sensiblehandling and food preparation practices, but it takes attention to keep it that way.
Whether they are produced domestically or imported, four key events have brought concern for the microbial food safety of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other edible horticultural foods:
1. Recent and recurring disease outbreaks linked to the consumption of these foods2. Positive detection and recovery of human pathogens from random samples3. Reports from several researchers indicating how difficult it is to clean and disinfect produce surfaces4. Reports from several researchers documenting the potential for pathogens to move inside of produce during postharvest handling
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