Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network


SAFEFOOD NEWS - Spring 1997 - Vol. 1, No. 3

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Global Produce Supply -- Growing Source of Disease

Raspberries from Guatemala, strawberries from Mexico, grapes from Chile, the list goes on. In fact, the majority of produce sold in supermarkets today was grown in a foreign country, often a third- world country. When we travel to third-world countries, we're given the following food safety tip: Peel it, boil it, cook it or don't eat it. What happens when the food we question enters the United States, legally or illegally?

Luckily, in the United States we have one more food safety precaution available to us--washing. It's not included as a guaranteed food safety tip when traveling in third-world countries because the water there may not be potable.

As lucky as we are to have safe water available to us, many (including some food processors and food service workers) don't take time to adequately wash their hands or the produce they're preparing before serving. Usually, the results affect only a few; however, in a growing number of cases, for example, Hepatitis A in frozen strawberries this March and cyclospora in raspberries last summer, hundreds of people across the United States are being affected from a common source.

Food safety experts see this as a growing trend. Before 1987 some 2 percent of food-borne disease outbreaks were associated with fresh produce. In recent years this number has increased four times, to 8 percent.

The reasons are many. One is the growing variety of pathogens that can survive on produce. Numerous bacteria, viruses, and protozoa have been linked to food-borne illnesses on many different types of produce. Increases in global trade and travel further increase the spread of microbial flora among countries.

Another factor is the growing use of larger and more centralized production units and longer food chains. If there's a breakdown in safe handling procedures, there's more time available for bacteria to multiply and grow before consumption. Also, more people are likely to consume produce from a common source.

Changing social demographics and food preferences also are factors. We eat more fresh produce and more salads than our parents did and a greater proportion of the population are elderly, immuno-compromised, or suffering from chronic diseases- factors that increase the risk of food-borne illness.

And finally, there's a decreased emphasis at home and in schools on hand washing, in general, and on washing fresh fruits and vegetables, in particular.

What can be done to reduced the risk? A multifaceted approach is needed, from field through consumption. At the field level, providing adequate rest room and hand-washing facilities is essential. At the shipping, handling, and marketing level, keeping produce clean and cold is critical. Particularly in the case of Hepatitis A, infected persons should not handle food to be eaten without further cooking. At home, be sure to wash all fresh produce in clean water before serving. Then enjoy, for nothing beats the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Source: Column by Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., April 1997.

Updated Monday, August 29, 2011