ABSTRACT
As more foods are purchased away from home or purchased in prepared forms, consumers can exercise less control over key food safety control points (Isshiki et al., 2009). This trend has led to a demand for a wider range of products with less preparation and cooking at home. Indeed, such trends are reflected in the increase of salad bars, sandwiches, juices, and minimally processed foods that are ready to eat. In this context, we define minimally processed foods as foods that are produce commodities that are eaten raw and have not received a formal process or treatment to reduce pathogenic bacteria, their spores, or toxins to a safe level. Matthews (2006) argued that the number of food poisoning cases or outbreaks due to produce contamination has increased, since fruits and vegetables are mostly produced in a natural environment and are vulnerable to contamination. Therefore, the consumption of ready-to-eat produce or minimally processed fresh-cut produce, if suitable safeguards are not in place, represents a new challenge to food safety (Bhagwat, 2006).
