The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published in December 2024 the results of analysis of process water as risk factor for microbiological cross-contamination during handling and processing operations of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
In recent years, pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes and STEC have caused major outbreaks in the European Union that were related to the consumption of fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs. The quality of water is an increasing global concern, not only because poor water quality can introduce harmful microorganisms into food but also due to climate change and the expected reduction in water availability.
Therefore, EFSA analysed the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of water used to process fruit, vegetables and herbs in industrial settings and based on this derived process water management plans for the following food categories:
- fresh-whole fruit, vegetables and herbs (EFSA Journal. 2025;23:e9170.),
- fresh-cut fruit, vegetables and herbs (EFSA Journal. 2025;23:e9171.) as well as
- frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs (EFSA Journal. 2025;23:e9172.)
Furthermore, EFSA developed WaterManage4You, a free online tool that will help predict the transfer and accumulation of bacteria in process water in industrial scenarios.
