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Foods
Special Issues
Quality and Safety Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables
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Quality and Safety Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 September 2025 | Viewed by 1398

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ángel Calín-Sánchez

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Guest Editor
Research Group "Food Quality and Safety (CSA)", Department of Agro-Food Technology, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Carretera de Beniel, km 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Interests: evaluation of volatile compounds and the sensory quality of fruits, vegetables, and derived products; evolution of the functional and sensory properties of different fruits and vegetables as affected by different agricultural practices and processing; dehydration of fruits, vegetables, aromatic herbs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luis Noguera-Artiaga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Group “Food Quality and Safety (CSA)”, Department of Agro-Food Technology, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Ctra. de Beniel, km 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Interests: food processing; nuts; volatile; antioxidants; organic; sensory quality; bioactive components; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Foods is focused on the “Quality and Safety Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables”. Preventing contamination and maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables can be achieved with a properly implemented system for quality and safety. Starting from the first steps, this includes implementing good agricultural practices, continuing with good processing practices, regular quality checks throughout the food chain, and also proper sanitation measures. Prioritizing quality and safety through the supply chain results in reduced foodborne illnesses and healthier consumption. Prioritizing quality and safety for fruits and vegetables is not only beneficial for individual health but also contributes to a safer and more responsible food industry. Quality can be assessed in terms of functional, nutritional, and sensory quality throughout their growth, processing, and shelf life, and acceptance by consumers through the sensory analysis tool, while safety can be assessed by both contaminants and microbiological aspects. Therefore, this Special Issue is open to receiving research results and/or quality reviews on measures and systems implemented to maintain the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables across the food chain.

Dr. Ángel Calín-Sánchez
Dr. Luis Noguera-Artiaga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • safety assessment
  • food quality
  • fruits and vegetables
  • food chain
  • good practices

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 4064 KiB  
Article
A Case Study on the Microbiological Consequences of Short Supply Chains in High-Income Countries—The Consequences of Good Handling Practices (GHPs) in Vegetable Outlets in Portugal
by Ariana Macieira, Teresa R. S. Brandão and Paula Teixeira
Foods 2025, 14(12), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122036 - 9 Jun 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
Vegetables are commodities frequently sold in local markets and have been associated with foodborne outbreaks in short and local supply outlets worldwide. These outbreaks could potentially be mitigated through the implementation of good handling practices (GHPs) at points of sale. Numerous studies have [...] Read more.
Vegetables are commodities frequently sold in local markets and have been associated with foodborne outbreaks in short and local supply outlets worldwide. These outbreaks could potentially be mitigated through the implementation of good handling practices (GHPs) at points of sale. Numerous studies have assessed microbiological contamination in small-scale vegetable outlets in developing countries. In contrast, research on these risks in developed countries is comparatively scarce. However, with the increasing demand for vegetables, along with the increasing popularity of local markets, there is potential for an increase in foodborne outbreaks in developed countries. This study aimed to perform a microbiological assessment in local and short supply chain outlets of farmers in Portugal, as a case study, and to observe behaviors regarding GHPs in these outlets. The study was performed before and after the implementation of improved GHPs. This research employed quantitative analysis to measure the microbial load on vegetables, bench surfaces, and vendors’ hands. Additionally, a qualitative analysis was conducted to understand farmers’ behavior regarding GHPs using observational methods. Microbial hazards were detected in vegetables, on surfaces, and on hands both before and after the implementation of these practices, although the implementation of GHPs reduced the number of contaminations potentially associated with the practices used at the outlets. The results of this study highlight the importance of implementing GHPs in local and short supply chain markets for vegetables and fruits in developed countries, not only to protect consumers’ health, but also the farmers’ businesses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality and Safety Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables)
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