Bacteriological Quality of Fresh Vegetables and Peeled Sugar-Cane Obtained from Selected Markets in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Fresh vegetables and peeled sugar-cane serves as an essential component of a healthy diet, but despite their benefit they are prompt to bacterial contamination. The bacteriological quality of four types of fresh vegetables and peeled sugar-cane obtained from selected markets in Zaria, Nigeria was determined using standard microbiological method. The fresh vegetables, peeled sugar-cane, water and hand-swab samples were collected from four different locations namely; Samaru, Sabon-gari, Tudun-wada and Zaria-city. The total bacteria plate counts ranged from 3.3 x 10⁶ cfu/g to 1.6 x 10⁷ cfu/g with Tudu-wada having the highest bacteria load in lettuce. The coliform count of fresh vegetables and peeled sugar-cane varies from 1.3 x 10⁴ to 8.6 x 10⁵ cfu/g in the entire markets with Tudu-wada having the highest value in cucumber, the counts were obviously above specified Standard of 10⁵ cfu/g and  10³ cfu/g (ICMSF, 1978). Pathogenic bacteria isolated include; Citrobacter fruendii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella. spp., Shigella spp., Serratia spp., Cronobacter sakazaki, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., and others Staphylococci spp.. This study showed that, fresh vegetables and peeled sugar-cane are contaminated with pathogenic bacteria making them unsafe for human consumption; hence fresh produce should be pre- treated thoroughly, so as to reduce the risk of food- borne outbreaks.

Keywords: Pathogenic bacteria · Bacteriological quality, Microbiological method, Coliform counts and food- borne outbreaks.

DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-8-02

Publication date: April 30^th 2021