Technologies and Guidelines for Safe Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce in Japan

Fresh and fresh-cut produce can become contaminated with microorganisms and can be the vehicle for foodborne pathogens. The degree of contamination varies widely among produce types and is dependent on the environmental conditions from growing to processing. Our research showed that microbial count was basically higher on vegetables than on fruits, and approximately 80% of the total isolates were bacteria in vegetables and molds in fruits. It has been assumed that the inherent acidity of fresh fruits would prevent growth of bacteria. Most of the bacteria and molds isolated from produce are phytopathogenic and soilborne organisms. On-farm sources of microbial contamination are from animal feces, fertilizer, agricultural water, pesticide solution, soil, and humans at the preharvest level and animal feces, transport vehicles, dump and rinse waters, packing shed equipment, and humans at the postharvest level. Major sources of in-plant contamination are from the equipment and machinery used in preparing fresh-cut produce. The microbial flora characteristics of fresh produce during growing also persist after harvest and are therefore commonly found on fresh-cut produce. An on-farm food safety program such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and an in-plant food safety program such as Hazard Analysis and Critical control Point (HACCP) have been recommended to minimize microbial food safety hazards of fresh and fresh-cut produce, although those programs in Japan are still in its infancy for implementation. In Japan, a more intensive and extensive research studies are needed to better understand the interaction of field and plant conditions and various treatments in reducing and regulating spoilage and human pathogens. We and others in Japan have researched many treatments including chlorination of agricultural water, ethyl alcohol spraying on packing shed equipment, and chemical disinfectants such as electrolyzed water and physical treatment such as high-pressure of fresh-cut produce to result in safe food. These data and future data will be used to establish a scientific baseline for designing and improving food safety guidelines that will effectively control microbial quality and assure safety of fresh and fresh-cut produce. Various technologies that are being used or evaluated for maintaining food quality and safety of the produce appear promising in Japan.