Safe Food Handling Techniques to Prevent Microbial Contamination

This chapter provides an overview of the most relevant food handling techniques between production and consumption pathways to prevent microbial contamination of food. These handling practices include technologies and management facilitations in line with production, postharvest handling, processing practices, distribution, and consumer handling to prevent food pathogens. In this chapter, emphasis is placed on fresh foods’ microbial safety, the commodity identified as a significant aspect of the industry in the global space. Food handlers must understand that there are no known single preventive technique that could be used at one point/stage of the food chain. For this reason, food handlers create or adopt procedures hinged on the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles, particularly primary-level production. More so, food traceability along the chain is essentially important for food safety. Lastly, multifaceted approaches are prerequisites to ensuring the food safety of fresh commodities from farm to farm.