The challenge
Vegetables grown in open ground can be contaminated with a variety of different pathogens such as Pseudomonas spp., E. coli, Salmonella, Yersinia and Shigella due to the use of contaminated irrigation water or organic fertilizers. These bacteria can form a serious health threat to the end consumer. Additionally, these vegetables often pass through water in processing facilities to remove soil. The number of pathogens in this washing water can rapidly increase and result in cross contamination of the products.
