The inclusion of a washing and sanitization steps before cutting
and during processing effectively reduces the risk of pathogen and
residue contamination on fruits and vegetables from harvest and
handling conditions. During sanitization, fruits and vegetables are
subjected to an effective treatment to destroy or reduce the number
of pathogenic microorganisms, without affecting the quality, safety
or product. The effectiveness of washing to remove soil impurities
and microbial contaminations is related to numerous factors, such
as raw material spoilage, the duration of washing, the water temperature,
the method of washing (dipping, rinsing, or dipping/
blowing), the type and concentration of the sanitizer and the type
of fresh-cut fruit or vegetable. The selection of a sanitizer for fresh
fruits and vegetables that are consumed raw is important, and thus
the selected product should not only be effective in the elimination
of pathogenic microorganisms but it should also be safe from a
toxicological point of view.