Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing: Supply chain safety key to keeping contaminated food off our plates

 isThe estimated financial burden of the disease is claimed to be as high as €3 billion.

In the US, it’s suggested that Salmonellosis is the cause of more than 1.35 million infections, over 26,000 hospitalisations and more than 400 deaths each year.

Although Salmonellosis can be contracted from an array of sources, including through direct animal contact, 94% of Salmonellosis cases are transmitted by food.

Safe handling and management of food along the supply chain is considered key for reducing and/or preventing the risk of food contamination by harmful pathogens, such as Listeria and E.coli.

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce

A new book published by Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing considers the importance of ensuring food safety along the fresh produce supply chain.

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce features contributions from a pool of international experts in food safety and has been edited by Dr Karl R. Matthews – Professor of Food Microbiology at Rutgers University in the US.

“Increasing consumer demand for low-input cultivation and minimal processing has significantly increased the risk of microbiological contamination of fresh produce,” says Francis Dodds, Editorial Director at Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.

“As well as presenting a major health risk to consumers, this also undermines the trust in the food supply chain from farm to fork,” he adds.

The deterioration of food as a result of microbial contamination is a major concern in terms of food waste, human health, financial burden and economic loss.

A significant amount of research is currently being undertaken to develop methods which measure both product safety and quality, such as high-throughput screening techniques and rapid detection.

“Rapid and accurate analytical procedures are critical to ensuring product quality, label compliance and safety,” says Dr Chunlei Shi, Professor of Food Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

“Rapid screening of spoilage microorganisms in food during manufacturing and processing would facilitate their detection in a timely manner, thus controlling the spread of microbes and ensuring safe food supply,” she concludes.

The risk of contracting a foodborne illness from fresh produce is significantly higher than many other food types as fresh produce is typically consumed in its raw form. Any pathogens which may be present can’t be ‘killed off’ during the cooking process.

Packaging is key

With this in mind, the packaging of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, is crucial to reducing the risk of contamination via an external source.

One recent development in this area is the emergence of smart packaging – a process which utilises technology to enhance the functionality of packaging materials. For example, QR codes are now printed on packaging to allow consumers to track the journey of their food from farm to fork. Key developments, such as the use of QR codes are discussed in this new authoritative text.

See more here.