Produce

File:La Boqueria.JPG market in Barcelona, Spain]]

In American English, produce generally refers to fresh fruits and vegetables intended to be eaten by humans, although other food products such as dairy products or nuts are sometimes included.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-02 |title=produce, noun |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/produce |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |language=en |quote=2: agricultural products and especially fresh fruits and vegetables as distinguished from grain and other staple crops}}{{Cite web |date=2015-11-27 |title=Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/11/27/2015-28159/standards-for-the-growing-harvesting-packing-and-holding-of-produce-for-human-consumption#h-3 |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Federal Register |language=en |quote=the Food and Drug Administration...is establishing science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce, meaning fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.}}{{Cite web |title=produce |url=https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/produce |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English |quote=food or other things that have been grown or produced on a farm to be sold}}{{Cite web |title=produce, noun |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/produce_n |url-access=subscription |website=Oxford English Dictionary |quote=4. Agricultural and natural products collectively, as opposed to manufactured goods.}}

In supermarkets, the term is also used to refer to the section of the store where fruit and vegetables are kept. Produce is the main product sold by greengrocers (UK, Australia) and farmers' markets. The term is widely and commonly used in the U.S. and Canada, but is not typically used outside the agricultural sector in other English-speaking countries.

Packaging

File:Wasteful Food Packaging, Japan.jpg.]]

Produce may be packaged for transport or sale.

In parts of the world, including the U.S. and Europe, loose pieces of produce, such as apples, may be individually marked with small stickers bearing price look-up codes. These four- or five-digit codes are a standardized system intended to aid checkout and inventory control at places where produce is sold.

File:Korea-Andong-Gohari-Harvesting onions-02.jpg|alt=Farmworker puts onions into large mesh bags|Produce may be bagged in the field during harvest.

File:Onion box - CO2v01-22421314.jpg|Produce may be packaged for transport in a plastic crate.

File:Gemüse auf einem Markt in Gallicano 01.jpg|Cardboard boxes for bulk produce

File:Leno bag sample filled.png|Mesh bag used for retail sales

File:Spring Onion.jpg|Small amounts may be banded together.

File:Sweet onions in a pile.jpg|Bulk produce may be identified by stickers

Bacterial contamination

Raw sprouts are among the produce most at risk of bacterial infection.{{Cite web|url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/748566|title=Hold the Raw Sprouts, Please|website=www.medscape.com|access-date=2016-09-18}}

Rinsing is an effective way to reduce the bacteria count on produce, reducing it to about 10 percent of its previous level.{{Cite web|url=http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2010/11/09/good-question-does-washing-fruit-do-anything/|title=Good Question: Does Washing Fruit Do Anything?|last=DeRusha|first=Jason|date=9 November 2010|access-date=2016-09-18}}

Wastewater used on vegetables can be a source of contamination, due to contamination with fecal matter, salmonella or other bacteria.{{Cite web|url=http://sciencenordic.com/no-more-salmonella-danish-poultry|title=No more salmonella in Danish poultry|date=3 July 2012|access-date=2016-09-18}} After Denmark eliminated salmonella in its chickens, attention has turned to vegetables as a source of illness due to feces contamination from other animal sources, such as pigs.

= Notable people =

References

External links

Category:Crops

Category:Food retailing

Category:Edible fruits

Category:Vegetables