Cross-Contamination of Foodborne Pathogens During Juice Processing

The demand for unpasteurized fruit juices has grown due to their natural nutritional benefits, but this also increases the risk of foodborne illnesses. This study evaluated the transfer of three pathogens (<i>Salmonella enterica</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7, and <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>) from different surfaces (cutting boards, knives, and gloves) to produce and subsequently across different juice batches. Cutting boards and gloves showed the highest pathogen transfer rates (ranging from 2.03 ± 4.36 to 70.69 ± 23.58% for cutting boards, and from 0.04 ± 0.05 to 70.61 ± 23.51% for gloves), while knives exhibited the lowest (from 1.27 ± 1.35 to 7.87 ± 5.33%), when surface-to-produce transference was evaluated. Among the tested produce, beetroot had the highest pathogen transfer for all the tested pathogens (for the cutting board, from 48.55 ± 21.66 to 70.69 ± 23.58%, for the knife from 7.17 ± 6.17 to 7.87 ± 5.33%, and for the gloves from 48.85 ± 21.66 to 70.61 ± 23.51%). Beetroot juice provided the most favorable conditions for bacterial transfer (δ = 0.53-0.56; <i>k</i>_max1 = 3.09-3.20), whereas strawberry juice led to the fastest microbial decrease (δ = 1.10-1.26; <i>k</i>_max1 = 2.08-2.28) throughout processed juices. Apple juice demonstrated intermediate bacterial decline rates (δ = 0.75-1.10; <i>k</i>_max1 = 2.20-2.61). These findings highlight the need for improved hygiene practices and contamination control in juice processing to minimize food safety risks associated with unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juices.