Critical factors affecting the microbial safety of fruits, vegetables and animal fresh produces: A review

Fruits and vegetables play a very significant role in nutrition and healthy diet, thus various initiatives have been undertaken by various countries to encourage consumers to eat more and more of fresh produce. This practice has led to an increased consumption, production and efficient distribution of raw fruits and vegetables. However, over past several years, unacceptable outbreaks of foodborne illness have been reported with this commodity. Contamination of agricultural produce may occur at any stage of a supply chain, from farm to fork that is harvesting, production, processing, storage and distribution but once they get contaminated it very difficult to sanitize them. Factors contributing to contamination includes changes in processing and agronomic practices, an increase in per capita consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, increased international trade and distribution, and an increase in the number of immuno-compromised consumers. The microbial load can be reduced by using conventional surface methods, but cannot eliminate pathogens completely. Electrolyzed water, Chlorine dioxide, cold atmospheric plasma, UV light, hydrogen peroxide, organic acids and acidified sodium chlorite show assurance, but irradiation at 1 kGy in high oxygen atmospheres proves to be the most effective method to assure elimination of both internal and surface contamination of produce by pathogens. Salmonella (tomatoes, seed sprouts and spices) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on leafy greens (spinach and lettuce) are the pathogens of major concern nowadays. Factors responsible for illness are reviewed in this paper.