The risk of tree fruits causing outbreaks of food-related illness is low. In fact, no outbreak has ever been linked to fresh apples, pears, cherries, or other tree fruits. But it would only take one outbreak for tree fruits to become a high-risk commodity, warns Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of scientific and technical affairs with the United Fresh Produce Association. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that fresh produce was responsible for more illnesses, by far, than any other commodity it regulates. There have been 63 outbreaks of illness linked to fresh produce industry practices […]