Abstract
Microbes are found all over the globe with some few exceptions, including sterilized surfaces. They include normal flora that is nonpathogenic, which contribute to the larger percentage, and pathogenic species which are few. Hence, the activities of humans cannot be completely separated from microbes. Thus, many pathogenic microbes have found their way into fresh fruits and vegetables which are a great source of a healthy diet for humans. The growing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables has necessitated larger production. The larger production of vegetables within the shortest possible time to meet the growing demand has placed them at a higher risk of contamination with the pathogenic microbes, making the safety of consumers uncertain. Study of sources of contamination and type of pathogenic etiological agents isolated from fresh fruits and vegetables includes Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, E. coli O157: H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Shigella, Staphylococcus, and Vibrio cholera. Several measures have proven to be effective in controlling contamination of microbes and they include the establishment of surveillance systems to monitor the production chain and thoroughly washing vegetables with vinegar water. Saltwater and other washing techniques are effective but caution should be taken to make sure one does not use one cycle of water for washing all vegetables. The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is still encouraged by this review but significant measures must be taken to check the safety of these products before consumption.
Highlights
Microbes are found all over the globe with some few exceptions, including sterilized surfaces. ey include normal flora that is nonpathogenic, which contribute to the larger percentage, and pathogenic species which are few
The activities of humans cannot be completely separated from microbes. us, many pathogenic microbes have found their way into fresh fruits and vegetables which are a great source of a healthy diet for humans. e growing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables has necessitated larger production. e larger production of vegetables within the shortest possible time to meet the growing demand has placed them at a higher risk of contamination with the pathogenic microbes, making the safety of consumers uncertain
While the production and exports of fruits and vegetables in Asian countries have almost doubled in the last few years [5, 6], the growth of fresh fruits and vegetable production from Africa and American (Latin) countries is slower as compared to other continents
Summary
A well-organized review of microbiological literature on microbial contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables was conducted. It focused on major and minor issues on the topic including information having a bearing on the topic. Four different types of searches were done in a systematic manner using inclusion and exclusion criteria and that of the search terms. With regard to the first search, articles identified in the specified databases and their complete copies obtained and deemed fit for inclusion criteria were considered for further review. Articles obtained through cited articles were looked at following the criteria used for search one; 11 articles were found but not all were included in the study. A further reading of abstracts and whole documents and subjecting them to exclusion and inclusion criteria resulted in 42 documents. ese included review papers, research articles, case studies, and case reports
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
