Chapter 12 - Irradiation of Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Several studies have shown an association between a high consumption of vegetables and fruits and low incidences of certain chronic diseases. With the increasing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as market globalization, an increase in foodborne illness due to produce is a real possibility as a result of contamination of foods with pathogenic microorganisms. Minimally processed foods such as fresh, precut vegetables and fruits, both conventional and organic, have limited shelf life and mainly rely on good manufacturing practices (GMP) for preservation and safety. Contaminated raw vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices have all been vehicles for transmission of pathogens. These foods are often consumed raw without the benefit of any pathogen-killing step. In the past few decades, a number of major foodborne disease outbreaks involving up to thousands of cases and many deaths attributable to consumption of fresh, precut, and minimally processed produce have been reported in several countries. The microorganisms present in this produce are the natural microflora (lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., yeast and molds) or the bacteria incorporated in these products during their cultivation (irrigation and fertilization), and processing (harvest, postharvest handling, processing, and distribution). Ionizing radiation is a nonthermal technology that has been reported to eliminate foodborne pathogens and extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. This chapter presents the microbiological, organoleptic, and physicochemical effects of ionizing irradiation, alone or in combination with various other hurdles, on fruits and vegetables.