Food safety of fresh fruits and vegetables in the Philippines: challenges andprospects

Fruits and vegetables are high-value nutritious crops and are integral parts of food security and nutrition policies and programs. They are consumed fresh or partially processed and are often implicated in food safety problems. As food supply becomes increasingly globalized, food safety concerns have become multifarious, and impacts on lives and society have magnified, affecting both developed and developing countries. Reducing the risks of unsafe food involves preventing contamination throughout the food chain. This review draws the food safety situation of fruits and vegetables in the Philippines, particularly the prevalence of food safety hazards and issues in selected supply chains, and synthesizes the food safety gaps to lead the way forward, towards mainstreaming food safety and a safe food culture harnessing existing enabling ecosystems.