Abstract
This chapter reviews the implications of water quality in the fresh produce industry and the associated problems from the food safety and environmental perspectives including the wastewater generated. Guidelines and national regulations focused on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Handling Practices (GHP), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) recommend that water must be of potable quality when contacting the fresh commodity throughout all postharvest operations including washing, cooling, and rinsing. Water may become contaminated during processing and promote cross-contamination among different product lots. Water disinfection is needed to minimize the potential of cross-contamination of process wash water although it does not completely eliminate microbial contamination on a contaminated product. Disinfectant efficacy must be monitored and controlled throughout establishment of critical operational limits for water quality variables ensuring that optimal doses are maintained. A critical water quality variable is the organic matter content as it will directly affect the maintenance of minimum effective doses which should be enough to avoid cross-contamination in process wash water while avoiding accumulation and formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Selection of the most adequate disinfectant for each washing system will also have an impact on the DBP. Formation and accumulation of DBPs in process wash water must be avoided to reduce chemical risks but without compromising the maximum degree of protection against microbial risks. Large volumes of water are used in the fresh produce industry directly, impacting the generation of wastewater. The water quality variables of the generated wastewater, mainly influenced by the organic matter content and presence of DBP, and the efficacy of disinfection treatments for water reconditioning will determine the potential reuse of wastewater generated in the fresh produce industry.
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