MICROBIAL HAZARDS AND EMERGING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCE - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT TO THE NATIONAL ADVISORY-COMMITTEE ON MICROBIOLOGIC CRITERIA FOR FOODS

In the past two decades, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetable s in the United States has increased, and the geographic sources and d istribution of fresh produce have expanded greatly. Concomitantly, pub lic health officials have documented an increase in the number of repo rted produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks in the United Stat es. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of these outbreaks doubled between 1973 and 1987, and 1988 and 1991, and that the number of cases of illness associated with thes e outbreaks more than doubled. A variety of produce items have been af fected. During 1995 alone, major outbreak investigations linked infect ions with Salmonella serotype Stanley to alfalfa sprouts, Salmonella H artford to unpasteurized orange juice, Shigella spp. to lettuce and gr een onions, Escherichia coli O157:H7 to lettuce, and hepatitis A virus to tomatoes. In response to this apparent increase, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked the National Advisory Committee on Microbio logical Criteria for Foods to address and better define the associatio n of foodborne disease and microbial pathogens with fresh produce. A s ubcommittee formed in June 1995 is documenting relevant epidemiologic data, current industry practices, and laboratory data to identify pote ntial hazards and related control strategies. This report presents the preliminary findings of that subcommittee.