Microbial Hazard Identification in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables is a comprehensive guide for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry to understanding and controlling the hazards that can affect their products on every leg of the journey from farm to fork.

From production, harvesting, packing, and distribution to retail and consumer handling, Microbial Hazard Identification in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables highlights food safety hazards and potential areas of microbial contamination, examines food-borne pathogens and their association with produce-related outbreaks over the years, and points out areas for further research to better understand the survival of pathogens on fresh produce throughout the food chain.

Coverage of Microbial Hazard Identification in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables includes:

• Food worker hygiene, including control measures and employee training requirements
• Major areas of known contamination and mitigation measures
• Implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
• Contamination and mishandling during storage and transportation, and in retail display cases
• Recommendations for consumer behavior with fresh produce and food handling prior to consumption in the home
• A case study of the economic impact of the 2003 green onion food-borne outbreak

Contents

1. Overview of Microbial Hazards in Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Operations
2. The Epidemiology of Produce-Associated Outbreaks of Foodborne Disease
3. Microbiological Risk in Produce from the Field to Packing
4. Produce Quality and Foodborne Disease: Assessing Water’s Role
5. Food Worker Personal Hygiene Requirements During Harvesting, Processing, and Packaging of Plant Products
6. Overview of Hazards in Fresh-Cut Produce Production: Control and Management of Food Safety Hazards
7. Pathogen Survival on Fresh Fruit in Ocean Cargo and Warehouse Storage
8. Fresh Produce Safety in Retail Operations
9. Consumer Handling of Fresh Produce from Supermarket to Table
10. The Economics of Food Safety and Produce: The Case of Green Onions and Hepatitis A Outbreaks

Index

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