Food Protection Trends - January/February 2017 - 73


cross-contamination of pathogens via wash water.
Other factors to consider include the types and levels
of microorganisms, the procedure used for inoculation, number of test replicates, and test conditions,
such as produce and sanitizer temperatures. If an
antimicrobial is used for washing produce, follow
EPA-registered label instructions or the manufacturer's directions for use. Rinse the washed produce with
potable water if this step is recommended by manufacturer or required by FDA.
7. Scrubbing produce is recommended only when
a clean brush is used on produce with a peel or a
tough rind, such as on citrus fruits or cantaloupe,
that will not be bruised or penetrated by the brush
bristles (10).

8. Leafy green salads in sealed bags labeled "washed" or
"ready-to-eat" that are packaged in a facility inspected
by a regulatory authority and operated under cGMPs
do not need additional washing at the time of use
unless this is specifically directed on the label. Safety
is not enhanced by additional washing of ready-to-eat
green salads. The risk of cross-contamination from
food handlers and food contact surfaces during washing may outweigh any food safety benefit that further
washing may provide (6).
AUTHOR INFORMATION
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E-mail: anna.starobin@ecolab.com

REFERENCES
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postharvest tomato diseases in Florida.
Available at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/
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7. Parish, M. E., L. R. Beuchat, T. V. Suslow,
L. J. Harris, E. H. Garrett, J. N. Farber, and
F. F. Busta. 2003. Methods to reduce/
eliminate pathogens from fresh and fresh-cut
produce. Compr. Rev. Food Sci F. 2:161-173.

13. United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA). Why is it important to eat
vegetables? Available at: https://www.
choosemyplate.gov/vegetables-nutrientshealth. Accessed 25 August 2016.

2. Bica, L. A., and E. M. Jamelske. 2012. USDA
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and other behaviors related to eating fruit
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eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1000222. Accessed 18
August 2016.

8.	 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2008.
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http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/ GuidanceDocumentsRegulatory-Information/ProducePlantProducts/ucm064458.
htm#ch5. Accessed 25 August 2016.

14. Vatanparast, H., A. Baxter-Jones, R. A.
Faulkner, D. A. Bailey, and S. J. Whiting.
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mineral accrual in boys during growth from
childhood to adolescence: the University
of Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral
Accrual Study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 82:700-706.

9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
2008. Guidance for industry: Guide to
minimize microbial food safety hazards
of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. VIII.
Production and process controls.
Available at: http://www.fda.gov/
Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/
ProducePlantProducts/ucm064458.
htm#ch8. Accessed 25 August 2016.

15. World Health Organization, Food Safety
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decontamination of fruits and vegetables
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who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/64435/1/
WHO_FSF_FOS_98.2.pdf?ua=1. Accessed
25 August 2016.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2011. Strategies to prevent obesity and
other chronic diseases: The CDC Guide
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Department of Health and Human Services.
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/
downloads/FandV_2011_WEB_TAG508.
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4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2013. Attribution of foodborne illnesses,
hospitalizations, and deaths to food
commodities by using outbreak data,
United States, 1998-2008 Emerg. Infect.
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foodborneburden/ attribution-1998-2008.
html. Accessed 25 August 2016.
5. International Fruit and Vegetable Alliance
(IFAVA). 2013. 4.3 Identifying structure and
stakeholders. Available at: http://ifava.org/
ifava-toolkit-online/step-by-step-guide-tostarting-your-national-program/identifyingstructure-and-stakeholders. Accessed 25
August 2016.
6. Palumbo, M. S., J. R. Gorny, D. E. Gombas,
L. R. Beuchat, C. M. Bruhn, B. Cassens,
P. Delaquis, J. M. Farber, L. J. Harris, K.
Ito, M. T. Osterholm, M. Smith, and K. M.
J. Swanson. 2007. Recommendations for
handling fresh-cut leafy green salads by
consumers and retail foodservice operators.
Food Prot. Trends 27:892-898.

10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2013.
FDA Food Code 2013: Annex 3 - Public
health reasons/administrative guidelines
- Chapter 3, Food. 3-302.15. Available at:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/
GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/
Food-Code/UCM374510.pdf. Accessed 17
September 2016.

16. Zhang, G., L. Ma, V. H. Phalen, and M. P.
Doyle. 2009. Efficacy of antimicrobial agents
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11.	 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2013. FDA
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Accessed 25 August 2016.

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