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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283016

Title: A SAFE consortium position paper: Update on microbial safety of fresh produce

Author
item ABADIAS, MARIBEL - Institute De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)
item BELC, NASTASIA - National Institute Of Research And Development For Food Bioresources
item DOBRE, ALINA ALEXANDRA - National Institute Of Research And Development For Food Bioresources
item FLYNN, KATHERINE - European Association For Food Safety Consortium, Safe Consortium
item LASAGABASTER, AMAIA - Marine And Food Technology Center
item NAZZARO, FILOMENA - National Research Council - Italy
item SMEU, IRINA - National Institute Of Research And Development For Food Bioresources
item SOPTICA, FLORIN - National Institute Of Research And Development For Food Bioresources
item OLIVEIRA, MARCIA SOUSA - Institute De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)
item ONCU, NESE ASH - Tubitak Marmara Research Center
item STUDER, PATRICK - Agroscope
item MARQUES, DANIELE COURT - European Association For Food Safety Consortium, Safe Consortium
item DELEANU, CARMEN - Polytechnic University Of Bucharest
item GIL, MABEL - Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC)
item Niemira, Brendan
item PIELAAT, ANNEMARIE - National Institute For Public Health And The Environment (RIVM)

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/2012
Publication Date: 8/10/2012
Citation: Abadias, M., Belc, N., Dobre, A., Flynn, K., Lasagabaster, A., Nazzaro, F., Smeu, I., Soptica, F., Oliveira, M., Oncu, N., Studer, P., Marques, D., Deleanu, C., Gil, M., Niemira, B.A., Pielaat, A. 2012. A SAFE consortium position paper: Update on microbial safety of fresh produce. Symposium Proceedings. Update on Microbial Safety of Fresh Produce., Bucharest, Romania, March 15-16, 2012.,Volume 1, Page 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Surveys of fresh produce demonstrate potential to become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. The analysis of microbiological risk is generally divided into three categories: Risk Assessment identifies the factors that contribute to a problem; Risk Management identifies ways to solve a problem; Risk Communication informs stakeholders at every step in the food chain about measures to minimize risk. Good risk communication will increase the chance of compliance, making intervention strategies more efficient, and thus saving lives and money. The goal of risk communication is an effective understanding and implementation of risk management conclusions. Consumers must have efficient and effective risk communication in order to maintain trust in the fresh produce chain. This manuscript considers microbiological risks associated with fresh produce and what can be done to reduce them.