Microbiology of Fresh and Processed Vegetables

Buchholz, Annemarie L.; Davidson, Gordon R.; Ryser, Elliot T.

doi:10.1002/9780470958346.ch7

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Rapid cooling of vegetables after harvest is a significant factor for quality maintenance. Cooling vegetables to refrigeration temperature (4°C or less) will decrease not only the rate of respiration and the ripening process, but also the growth of enteric pathogens (Buchholz et al, 2010;Matthews, 2014). Several methods of pre-cooling are available and are used depending on commodity.…”

Section: Harvesting Practices and Handling Prior To Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…leafy greens, pepper) (US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 2004). Hydrocooling and vacuum cooling are commonly used in rapid cooling for leafy greens by showering the product with cold water and surface water evaporation respectively (Buchholz et al, 2010). Those cooling processes may lead to commodity cross-contamination or internalization of pathogens.…”

Section: Harvesting Practices and Handling Prior To Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of the food production chain from farm practices to vegetable processing on outbreak incidence

Jung

Jang

Matthews

2014

Microbial Biotechnology

164

102

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The popularity in the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut vegetables continues to increase globally. Fresh vegetables are an integral part of a healthy diet, providing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds. The diversity of fresh vegetables and packaging formats (spring mix in clamshell container, bagged heads of lettuce) support increased consumption. Unfortunately, vegetable production and processing practices are not sufficient to ensure complete microbial safety. This review highlights a few specific areas that require greater attention and research. Selected outbreaks are presented to emphasize the need for science-based ‘best practices’. Laboratory and field studies have focused on inactivation of pathogens associated with manure in liquid, slurry or solid forms. As production practices change, other forms and types of soil amendments are being used more prevalently. Information regarding the microbial safety of fish emulsion and pellet form of manure is limited. The topic of global climate change is controversial, but the potential effect on agriculture cannot be ignored. Changes in temperature, precipitation, humidity and wind can impact crops and the microorganisms that are associated with production environments. Climate change could potentially enhance the ability of pathogens to survive and persist in soil, water and crops, increasing human health risks. Limited research has focused on the prevalence and behaviour of viruses in pre and post-harvest environments and on vegetable commodities. Globally, viruses are a major cause of foodborne illnesses, but are seldom tested for in soil, soil amendments, manure and crops. Greater attention must also be given to the improvement in the microbial quality of seeds used in sprout production. Human pathogens associated with seeds can result in contamination of sprouts intended for human consumption, even when all appropriate ‘best practices’ are used by sprout growers.

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Section: Harvesting Practices and Handling Prior To Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Harvesting Practices and Handling Prior To Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the food production chain from farm practices to vegetable processing on outbreak incidence

Jung

Jang

Matthews

2014

Microbial Biotechnology

164

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Pathogens Associated with Fruits and Vegetables: Contamination, Incidences, and Prevention

Rohinishree¹,

Varadaraj²,

Negi³

2016

Food Toxicology

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Transfer and Redistribution of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during Pilot-Scale Processing of Baby Spinach, Cilantro, and Romaine Lettuce

Smolinski

Wang

Ren

et al. 2018

Journal of Food Protection

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Several outbreaks of foodborne illness traced to leafy greens and culinary herbs have been hypothesized to involve cross-contamination during washing and processing. This study aimed to assess the redistribution of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 during pilot-scale production of baby spinach and cilantro and redistribution of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during pilot-scale production of romaine lettuce. Four inoculated surrogate:uninoculated product weight ratios (10:100, 5:100, 1:100, and 0.5:100) and three inoculation levels (10, 10, and 10 CFU/g) were used for the three commodities. For each of three trials per condition, 5-kg batches containing uninoculated product and spot-inoculated surrogate products at each ratio and inoculation level were washed for 90 s in a 3.6-m-long flume tank through which 890 L of sanitizer-free, filtered tap water was circulated. After washing and removing the inoculated surrogate products, washed product (∼23, 225-g samples per trial) was analyzed for presence or absence of Salmonella Typhimurium or E. coli O157:H7 by using the GeneQuence Assay. For baby spinach, cilantro, and romaine lettuce, no significant differences ( P > 0.05) in the percentage of positive samples were observed at the same inoculation level and inoculated:uninoculated weight ratio. For each pathogen product evaluated (triplicate trials), inoculation level had a significant impact on the percentage of positive samples after processing, with the percentage of positive samples decreasing, as the initial surrogate inoculation level decreased. The weight ratio of contaminated:noncontaminated product plays an important role: positive samples ranged from 0% to 11.6% ± 2.05% and from 68.1% ± 33.6% to 100% among the four ratios at inoculation of 10 and 10 CFU/g, respectively. To our knowledge, this study is the first to assess the redistribution of low levels of pathogens from incoming product to leafy greens during processing and should provide important data for microbial risk assessments and other types of food safety analyses related to fresh-cut leafy greens.

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Microbiology of Fresh and Processed Vegetables

Cited by 3 publications

References 76 publications

Effect of the food production chain from farm practices to vegetable processing on outbreak incidence

Effect of the food production chain from farm practices to vegetable processing on outbreak incidence

Pathogens Associated with Fruits and Vegetables: Contamination, Incidences, and Prevention

Transfer and Redistribution of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during Pilot-Scale Processing of Baby Spinach, Cilantro, and Romaine Lettuce

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