Risk Assessment of Fresh,

Minimally-Processed and
Frozen Berries

Student: Anamaria DAVID

Course: Food Safety and Security
Food Quality Management, USAMV ClujNapoca
January

Content
What are berries?
What risks could appear in the
processing chain?
RASFF Report Data
Preventive Measures
Refereces

What are berries?

Berries, defined according to
commercial production, are small,
ovoid or spherical, fleshy and juicy
fruits.
This definition does not resemble to
the botanical definition of berries,
which refers to an indehiscent fruit
derived from a single ovary and
having the whole wall fleshy, such as
a grape or tomato.

Berries examples
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.);
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.);
Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea
L.);
Blackberry (Rubus fructicosus L.);
Strawbeberry ( Fragaria vesca L.);
Currant (Ribes nigrum L.);
Others.

RASFF Notifications
16.11.1985 ->05.01.2016 - 184
notifications:
67 Border rejections (methomyl,
cyfluthrin, oxamyl, etc. and heavy
metals)
60 Alerts ( HAV, NoV, E.coli,
Alergens)
Notifications
Informations (Physical Haz.)

Preventive measures at
home

REFERENCES
1. Amy Simonne, Berries and Small Fruits: Safe Handling Practices for
Consumers, University of Florida, IFAS Extension, FCS8741, 2006.
2. C.K. Bower, S. Stan, M. Daeschel, and Y. Zhao, Promoting the safety
of Northwest fresh and processed berries, Oregon State University,
Extension Service, EM 8838, October 2003
3. EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ), Scientific Opinion on the
risk posed by pathogens in food of non-animal origin. Part 2 (Salmonella
and Norovirus in berries), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
Parma, Italy, EFSA Journal 2014;12(6):3706, 2014.
4. L Tavoschi, E Severi1, T Niskanen, F Boelaert, V Rizzi, E Liebana, J
Gomes Dias, G Nichols, J Takkinen, D Coulombier, Food-borne diseases
associated with frozen berries consumption: a historical perspective,
European Union, 1983 to 2013, Euro Surveill. 2015;20(29):pii=21193,
23 July 2015.
5. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasf-window/portal
/?event=searchResultList