STRAWBERRIES
Fresh strawberries are widely produced in the U.S., but, production for large retail customers is centered almost exclusively in Florida and California, who produce more than 90 percent of all fresh strawberries sold in the U.S. Since fresh strawberries are highly perishable, trade in North America is limited, with some
strawberries moving into the U.S. from Northern Mexico, and out of the U.S. into Canada. Only a few strawberries are exported to Japan, and these are shipped exclusively by air freight. U.S. consumption of fresh strawberries has grown over the past decade. In 2003, per capita consumption of fresh strawberries was 4.9 pounds.
Our work with fresh strawberries in North America is centered on the practices growers can use to reduce microbial contamination at the farm level and the farm and industry level impacts of their adoption.
