Risks associated with the consumption of irrigation water contaminated produce: on the role of quantitative microbial risk assessment

This review explores some fundamental principles of conducting QMRAs for irrigation-water-related fresh produce safety risks. It discusses some of the most relevant risk parameters or determinants that are usually incorporated into these QMRAs. In addition, the basis/criteria for categorizing and ranking risks, together with various relevant scenarios including produce consumption scenarios essential for predicting risks using QMRAs are briefly explored. A few sample studies that have used QMRA to predict the risks for transfer of enteric pathogens from irrigation water to vegetables, as well as others that have predicted the potential for illness outcomes by evaluating several relevant risk parameters/determinants are summarized. Rigorous, robust QMRAs can offer tangible benefits such as amongst many others, the development or revision of standards for pathogen levels in agricultural water for irrigation of fresh produce. More data, preferably from well-designed experiments on relevant practices/processes throughout the production, harvest, processing, distribution and storage stages will improve predictions and the overall quality of QMRAs on the microbiological risks associated with consuming produce items contaminated through the application of microbiologically tainted irrigation water.