Microbial Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Increasing health awareness has led to consumption of minimally processed foods in recent years. Minimally processed foods or other raw vegetables have become popular since it suits the present day necessity as need of elaborate preparations are not required . Fruits and vegetables carry microbial flora while passing from the farm to the table. The produce is exposed to potential microbial contamination at every step including cultivation, harvesting, transporting, packaging, storage and selling to the final consumers. Microbial spoilage and contaminating pathogens pose a serious problem in food safety. To minimize the risk of infection or intoxication associated, potential sources of contamination from the environment to the table should be identified and specific measures and interventions to prevent and/or minimize the risk of contamination should be considered and correctly implemented. This book provides an overview of the hazards associated with raw fruits and vegetables sold in the local markets, assessment of their microbial load and also evaluates the efficacy of the antimicrobial dips to minimize the associated microbial risks.