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REVIEW ARTICLE | DOI: https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/JNHHA/PP.0015

Food Safety Risks Associated with Fresh Produce: A Review of Pre- and Post-Harvest Factors

  • Okunbi Onasokhare Favour 1

  • Owei Joy Ebimoboere 2

  • Asare Bernard Kwame 3

  • Moses Adondua Abah 4

  • Micheal Oladosu Abimbola 5

1.Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Mountain Top University, Ibafo, Ogun State, Nigeria

2 Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Niger Delta University, Delta State,  Nigeria 

3 Department of Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Germany

4 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

5 ResearchHub Nexus Institute, Nigeria.   

  6 Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos State, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Moses Adondua Abah

Citation: Okunbi Onasokhare Favour , Owei Joy Ebimoboere , Asare Bernard Kwame , Moses Adondua Abah ,Micheal Oladosu Abimbola (2026) Food Safety Risks Associated with Fresh Produce: A Review of Pre- and Post-Harvest Factors., J. Nutrition and Human Health Advances, 2(5): dx.doi.org/JNHHA/PP.0015

Copyright : © 2026 Moses Adondua Abah. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Received: 21 August 2026 | Accepted: 28 September 2026 | Published: 04 September 2026

Keywords: food safety; fresh produce; pre-harvest contamination; post-harvest handling; and microbial risk.

Abstract

The consumption of fresh produce has increased globally due to its recognized health benefits, yet this trend has brought heightened attention to food safety risks associated with fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is frequently linked to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, with contamination occurring at multiple stages of the supply chain. This review comprehensively examines the various pre-harvest and post-harvest factors contributing to the microbiological safety risks of fresh produce. Pre-harvest factors encompass the use of contaminated irrigation water, untreated manure, soil quality, climate, and proximity to animal agriculture, all of which may introduce pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes into the production environment. Additionally, poor hygiene practices among farm workers and the presence of wildlife can further exacerbate contamination risks. Post-harvest, produce can encounter hazards during harvesting, washing, packaging, storage, and transportation. Inadequate washing, improper temperature control, and cross-contamination during processing are significant contributors to microbial persistence and growth. The review also addresses the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the role of biofilms in protecting pathogens on produce surfaces. Integrated management strategies such as implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems are crucial for minimizing risks at all stages. 

 

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