Mitigating the Risk of Microbial Contamination in Leafy Greens

Call for Papers

The number of outbreaks of food-borne illness linked to fresh or minimally processed fruits and vegetables has risen significantly over the past 20 years. An increased number of these outbreaks have been associated with lettuces, spinach, cabbage, and herbs, indicating that leafy greens may have a significant role in the transmission of infections caused by enteric pathogens. The causal agents in the majority of the documented outbreaks have been due to contamination with Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, and occasionally Shigella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes; however, the risks of campylobacteriosis and viral gastroenteritis cannot be ignored.

As leafy greens do not undergo any treatment that guarantees the elimination of food-borne pathogens, minimizing contamination before and after harvest is essential. Horticultural products may become contaminated at any point along the farm-to-fork continuum, but epidemiological investigations of past outbreaks suggest that contamination likely occurs during production. Understanding the manner in which leafy greens become contaminated, the ecology of pathogens in the agricultural environment, and the effects of production and processing on the survival and change (increase/decrease) in pathogen populations, are of the utmost importance in ensuring food safety.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will add to knowledge and information pertaining to mitigating the risk of microbial contamination in leafy greens. We are particularly interested in articles that explore the impact of pathogen stress in the production environment and its subsequent impact on produce contamination, plant-human pathogen interactions, and the ecology of pathogenic microorganisms in the agricultural environment. Such knowledge will allow for an increased understanding of the contamination of leafy greens resulting in the effective implementation of mitigation strategies. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Persistence of pathogenic microorganisms under stresses encountered in the “farm-to-fork” continuum
• Role of plant-human pathogen interactions
• Role of preharvest and postharvest factors on contamination
• Role of the viable but nonculturable state of bacteria in produce contamination
• Methodology to detect viable cells
• Role of plant tissue damage on pathogen persistence
• Ecology of pathogenic microorganisms in the plant production environment
• Effect of plant factors on pathogen persistence

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijmb/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Susan Bach, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 4200 Highway 97, Summerland, ON, Canada K1A 0C5

Guest Editors

• David O'Beirne, Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland
• Anna Allende, Research Group on Quality, Safety, and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIS, P.O. Box 164, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
• Doris H. D'Souza, Department of Food Science and Technology, The University of Tennessee, 2605 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA