Microbiological Quality of Raw Vegetables and Ready to Eat Products Sold in Abidjan (C�te d�Ivoire) Markets

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.