Microbiological Quality of Raw Vegetables and Ready to Eat Products Sold in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) Markets
Theory and Applications of Microbiology and Biotechnology Vol. 1,
Page 141-150
Abstract
Vegetables are usually consumed raw. This implied best hygienic conditions from the harvest to the processing because of the gastro-enteritis that they could provoke. This study was conducted with the aim to appreciate microbiological quality of raw tomatoes, endives and ready-to-eat products sold in markets. Samples were taken randomly in two markets of Abidjan. A microbiological analysis was done in order to identify and enumerate fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas. A decontamination treatment based on washing samples with running water and sodium hypochlorite solution I° chlorymetric was also applied to tomatoes and endives. The results indicated that, for tomatoes and endives, the average load was 1.5.104 CFU/g of Enterococcus, 1.3.103 CFU/g of Pseudomonas and 1.7.102 CFU/g of fecal coliforms. In ready-to-eat products, the load was 9.3.101 CFU/g for Enterococcus, l.03.101 CFU/g for Pseudomonas and 9.9.101 CFU/g for fecal coliforms. The disinfection with a sodium hypochlorite solution l° chlorymetric reduced Enterococcus and fecal coliforms load to 98% and Pseudomonas load to 97% as compared to the washing with running water in which Enterococcus was only reduced to 80%, fecal coliforms to78% and Pseudomonas to 73%. Escherichia coli were isolated in 28 samples as follow: 15 stumps from endives (54%), 10 stumps from tomatoes (36%) and 3 stumps from ready-to-eat products (10%). Results showed that before consumption, vegetables need to be washed, cleaned and disinfected. This will avoid sanitary hazard.
Keywords:
- Hygienic quality
- raw vegetables
- ready-to-eat products
- disinfection
- germs
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