Fresh vegetables are usually eaten raw and do not receive any treatment to ensure adequate removal or inactivation of harmful microorganisms prior to eating. Foodborne diseases associated with the consumption of fresh vegetables appear to be rising. Farming practices, post-harvest processing, and storage conditions affect microbial communities for fresh vegetables. Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria are common foodborne pathogenic bacteria associated with the consumption of fresh vegetables. Biofilm is characterised as a population of bacteria firmly adhered to a surface, and these communities provide more prolonged survival and resistance to adverse conditions such as the presence of disinfectants and antibiotics. The attachment of bacteria to the plant surface or biofilm formation is the initial step toward contaminating fresh vegetables. This review emphasises pre- and post-harvest contaminants in the safety of fresh vegetables, bacterial biofilm formation, and food safety strategies to reduce risk and the foodborne disease outbreaks linked to fresh produce.