Abstract

Fresh fruits and vegetables promote good health but harbour a wide range of microbial contaminants. To assess the microbial quality of fruits and vegetables sold in Sango-Ota, 15 samples of different fruits and vegetables were purchased from three vendors. Samples were analyzed to study the density of microorganisms by standard plate count (SPC). Mean microbial load ranged from 1.3 x 10⁶ – 1.82 x 10⁷ cfu/ml for vendor A; 9.9 x 10⁶- 3.0 x 10⁷ cfu/ml for vendor B and 9 x 10⁵ – 3.0 x 10⁷ cfu/ml for vendor C. Nine bacteria belonging to eight genera were identified. Staphylococcus aureus (29.2%) was the most frequently isolated followed by Staphylococcus spp (12.5%), Klebsiella spp (12.5%) and Salmonella spp (12.5%). Actinomycetes (4.2%) and Escherichia coli (4.2%) were the least frequently isolated. The effect of acetic acid (vinegar) concentration (0.5-2.5%) and exposure time (0-10 min) on the microbial load of five vegetables were also assessed. Increasing vinegar concentration from 0.5 - 2.5% reduced microbial loads by 15 - 82%. Least microbial loads for all vegetables were obtained when exposed to 2.5% vinegar solution for 10 min. Consumer’s awareness on the dangers of consuming pathogen contaminated foods and the need to insist on properly processed/stored sliced produce needs to be re-awakened.

Key words: Fruits, vegetables, microbiological quality, foodborne pathogens, vinegar.