In the past 10 years, inordinate amounts of individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables sold to the retail food industry have been found to be contaminated with microorganisms of the Listeria spp. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rolled out the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) final rule guidance for the fresh-cut produce industry. The Produce Safety rule establishes, for the first time, science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables intended for human consumption.1 In 2017, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) published guidance for the control of Listeria monocytogenes for IQF vegetable producers. This guidance presents more than 100 recommendations for food manufacturers aimed at L. monocytogenes control.2 Despite these highly prescriptive guidelines, there have still been recalls due to vegetables contaminated with L. monocytogenes. In 2016, there was a nationwide recall involving IQF corn and peas.3 In 2017, there was an international recall due to potentially contaminated broccoli.4 In 2018, there were multiple international recalls, one due to contaminated IQF potatoes5 and the other due to IQF vegetable blends.6
The question arose: If the IQF vegetable suppliers cannot adequately control Listeria spp., how do they control other harmful microorganisms? What needed to be done to find appropriate raw materials to adequately supply the retail food industry with wholesome ingredients? A study was performed to ascertain the capabilities of 11 IQF vegetable suppliers of a single international food manufacturer to control the hazards in the materials purchased. The study contains data obtained from these IQF vegetable suppliers between 2011 and 2020, including microbiological results, data from trip reports, and supplier surveys. The information uncovered by this study may lead to reductions in supply chain interruptions, increases in the quality of raw materials, higher compliance with FSMA rules, and more readily available materials for extended runs for this group of suppliers and possibly for others who share similar issues of process control. Another advantage of this study will be the further clarification of vegetable supplier audits. This project was divided into four stages: data collection, supplier interaction, data analysis, and deliverables.