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Prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables – Part 4: Specific commodities

Meeting report











FAO & WHO. 2023. Prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables – Part 4: Specific commodities. Meeting report. Microbiological Risk Assessment Series No. 44. Rome. 




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    Book (series)
    Prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables. Part 3: Sprout
    Meeting report
    2023
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    In 2019, following a request from the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), the Codex Alimentarius Committee (CAC) approved new work at its 42nd Session on the development of guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in leafy vegetables and in sprouts. Sprouts have different food safety concerns from other fresh fruits and vegetables because the conditions under which sprouts are produced (time, temperature, humidity, pH and nutrients) are ideal for foodborne pathogen growth. Outbreak investigations have demonstrated that foodborne pathogens found on sprouts most likely originate from the seed, but the contamination could also be attributed to the production environment. This report covers prevention and control measures specific to the primary production and handling of seed for sprouting, the production of sprouts and hygienic practices applicable to retail and food services. Recommendations for proper record keeping and the establishment of product traceability programmes that facilitate the identification and investigation of contaminated seed and sprouts in the event of an illness outbreak or product recall are also included.
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    Book (series)
    Prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables – Parts 1 & 2: General principles
    Meeting report
    2023
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    Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet and are protective against many chronic health conditions. Yet, fresh fruits and vegetables have been consistently implicated in food safety incidents involving microbiological hazards around the globe for decades. In response to requests of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene concerning microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables and to update and expand the information available in Microbiological hazards in fresh leafy vegetables and herbs (MRA14), which was published in 2008, FAO and WHO convened a series of expert meetings in 2021 to 2022. The purpose of the meetings was to collect, review and discuss relevant measures to control microbiological hazards from primary production to point of sale in fresh, ready-to-eat (RTE) and minimally processed fruits and vegetables, including leafy vegetables. The experts made an effort to update and include any recent trends in commodity and pathogen pairing or pathogen occurrence and presence with a focus on emerging and neglected pathogens. The primary production in open fields was investigated by considering the location, adjacent land use, topography, and climate; prior land use; water; wildlife, animal and human intrusion; soil amendments; and harvest and packing. The experts also worked on: primary production in protected facilities; minimal processing; transport, distribution, and point of sale; and also the gaps in mitigation and interventions measures. The advice herein is useful for both risk assessors and risk managers, at national and international levels and those in the food industry working to control the relevant hazards in the fresh fruits and vegetables. the development of improved mitigation and intervention measures.

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