IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Yoram Fuchs Based, partially, on book available via the internet at:

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES? Increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has been associated with increased proportion of reported outbreaks of foodborne illness, that can be traced to fresh produce. Recent such outbreaks in he USA, involving E. Coli O157:H7 in lettuce and Salmonella in cantaloupe, have raised concerns regarding the potential safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The WHO estimated that in 1993, food borne diseases produced worldwide losses in international food trade of approximately US$ 380 billion.

Foodborne diseases are a widespread and growing public health problem, both in developed and developing countries. The global incidence of foodborne disease is difficult to estimate, but it has been reported that in 2005 alone 1.8 million people died from diarrhoeal diseases. World Health Organization - Food, safety and foodborne illnesses -2010

In the United States of America (USA), for example, around 76 million cases of foodborne diseases, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, are estimated to occur each year. World Health Organization - Food, safety and foodborne illnesses -2010

Texan produce plant shut down after listeria-tainted celery kills five By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 21-Oct-2010 The Texas Department of State Health Services has stopped production at a produce processing plant in San Antonio after it linked five deaths to listeria- ( Listeria monocytogenes) contaminated chopped celery from the facility.

Foodborne illness costs the United States $152 billion Dollars every single year 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths due to consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella may be avoided each year Ein News

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SAFETY AND QUALITY ISSUES OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE (GAPs). GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE (GMPs). QUALITY AND PHYTOSANITARY ISSUES FOR FRESH PRODUCE. SAFETY HAZARDS AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF FRESH PRODUCE.

QUALITY The features that make produce what it is. The degree of excellence or superiority dictated by the consumer. Quality is defined as the composite of those characteristics that differentiate individual units of a product and have significance in determining the degree of acceptability by the buyer. The quality of fresh fruit is related to their visual appearance, eating quality, storage potential and tolerance to postharvest treatments. The totality of features and characteristics of a product that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.

QUALITY FACTORS Appearance - Visual Texture - Feel Flavor -Taste and smell Safety Nutritive value

SAFETY THE CONDITION OF BEING SAFE FROM UNDERGOING OR CAUSING HURT, INJURY OR LOSS. WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY

HAZARD – something that could cause harm to the consumer THERE ARE THREE MAIN TYPES OF HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH FRESH PRODUCE. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS CHEMICAL HAZARDS PHYSICAL HAZARDS

SOME COMMON SAFETY HAZARDS Naturally occurring toxicants Contaminants – chemical residues - hevy metals Microbial contamination Mycotoxins

SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ANOTHER FACTOR BECAME MAJOR ISSUE OF CONCERN IN THE FIELD OF FOOD SAFETY: FOOD TERROR !!

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS MICROORGANISMS MICROORGANISMS ARE SMALL ORGANISMS THAT CAN BE OBSERVED THROUGH A MICROSCOPE. THEY ARE DIVIDED INTO 5 MAJOR CLASSES: BACTERIA YEASTS MOLDS PARASITES VIRUSES

PREVENTION OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTROL FACTOR TO ENHANCE PRODUCE SAFETY. TO PREVENT PATHOGEN REPRODUCTION IN PRODUCE IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTROL: NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY HUMIDITY ACIDITY TEMPERATURE OXYGEN

ONCE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OR PARASITES, NONE OF THE KNOWN METHODS OF TREATMENT WILL ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PRODUCT BUT COOKING. IN FRESH PRODUCE FOOD SAFETY, PREVENTION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE POLICY!!! THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE CURRENT FOCUS ON GAP’s (GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES), GMP’s (GOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES) AND HACCP (HAZARD ANALYSIS of CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS). THESE ARE ALL PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS TO KEEP PATHOGENS OFF FRESH PRODUCE. IN GLOBAL G.A.P. ALL ABOVE PRCTICES ARE TAKEN IN ACCOUNT.

BACTERIAL REPRODUCTION

THE BACTERIAL REPRODUCTION PROCESS

SOURCES OF FRESH PRODUCE CONTAMINATION

PARASITIC HAZARDS

VIRAL HAZARDS

NATURAL CHEMICAL HAZARDS

ADDED CHEMICAL HAZARDS

PHYSICAL HAZARDS

FOODBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS

FOODBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH FRESH PRODUCE

FOOD SAFETY IN THE UK While progress in tackling food-borne diseases was referenced in the report, there are still more than 300,000 reported cases of food poisoning every year with a significant microbiological contamination on the food system. In 2006, between 600 and 700 people died as a direct result of something they ate, with the main cause being food poisoning. A report by UK Food Standards Agency

TO AVOID MOST OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROBLEMS ONE CAN USE:

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Thailand has one year to meet standards EU gives fruit exporters ultimatum Thailand has until next January to prove that all shipments of 16 suspect vegetable types to the EU meet quality standard requirements, says the Thailand Trade Representative Office (TTR). EU Ambassador David Lipman on Monday met with TTR president Kiat Sittheeamorn to inform him about the European Commission's decision on the export of the vegetables in five categories including basil, chilies and capsicum peppers, eggplant, bitter gourds and parsley. The EU has found some Thai produce infested with whiteflies, thrips and leaf miners. It earlier wanted to ban all imports of Thai produce due to insect contamination, but a ban was postponed on condition that Thailand inspect all of its shipments starting this past January. Source: bangkokpost.com Publication date: 3/2/2011