Fresh or minimally processed ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables are healthy, tasty, and convenient foods. Nevertheless, the last few decades have witnessed increased numbers of foodborne outbreaks following consumption of fresh produce contaminated with enteric bacteria. A new study sheds light on a potential novel mechanism for leaf contamination by penetration of human enteric pathogens inside the leaf tissue. The internalized bacteria reside in a favorable milieu, rich in water and nutrients and potentially protected from the external environment, including washing and disinfection.
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