Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce

Description

Increasing consumer demand for low-input cultivation and minimal processing has significantly increased the risk of microbiological contamination of fresh produce. This both presents a health risk to consumers and undermines trust in the food supply chain from farm to fork.

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce reviews our current understanding of the main pathogenic risks to fresh produce, including their epidemiology, genetics and behaviour. The book addresses recent advances in improving safety along the value chain, from advances in detection to improving consumer handling of fresh produce.

By providing a comprehensive insight into the pathogenic risks facing the fresh produce sector, the book details how key stakeholders across the agri-food supply chain can reduce the risk of pathogen contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Edited by an internationally-renowned expert in the field and featuring contributions from a team of expert authors, Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce will be a standard reference for researchers in food safety, agricultural engineers specialising in fresh produce storage, retail and other companies involved in the fresh produce supply chain, as well as government and commercial agencies responsible for safety and quality monitoring of agri-food supply chains.

Key features

• Provides an overview of advances in understanding the contamination of fresh produce by four key pathogens: Salmonella, Listeria, pathogenic Escherichia coli and Clostridium
• Reviews recent advances in the surveillance of foodborne diseases and developments in rapid detection techniques for identifying pathogens in food
• Addresses the importance of good agricultural practices (GAP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP) in maintaining the safety of fresh/minimally-processed produce

Table of contents

Part 1 Pathogenic risks
1.Advances in understanding contamination of fresh produce by Salmonella: Shirley Micallef, University of Maryland, USA;
2.Advances in understanding contamination of fresh produce by Listeria: Wei Zhang, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA;
3.Advances in understanding contamination of fresh produce by pathogenic Escherichia coli: Karl R. Matthews, Rutgers University, USA;

Part 2 Surveillance, detection and risk assessment
4.Developments in rapid detection/high throughput screening techniques for identifying pathogens in food: Chunlei Shi, Shanghai Jiao Tung University, China;
5.Advances in modelling pathogen behaviour in fresh produce: Panagiotis Skandamis, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece;
6.Advances in microbiological risk assessment (MRA) for pathogens in fresh produce: Don Schaffner, Rutgers University, USA;

Part 3 Improving safety along the value chain
7.Advances in understanding sources of pathogenic contamination of fresh produce: soil and soil amendments: Kali Kniel, University of Delaware, USA;
8.The role of good agricultural practices (GAP) in preventing pathogenic contamination of fresh produce: Elizabeth Bihn, Cornell University, USA;
9.Advances in sanitising techniques and their assessment for assuring the safety of fresh produce: Keith Warriner, University of Guelph, Canada;
10.Developments in packaging techniques and their assessment for assuring the safety of fresh produce: Jinhe Bai, USDA-ARS, USA;
11.The role of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems in maintaining the safety of minimally-processed fresh produce: Carol Ann Wallace, University of Central Lancashire, UK;
12.Improving safe consumer handling of fresh produce: Jennifer Quinlan, Drexel University, USA;