| Summary, etc |
Fresh fruits and vegetables are on an increase demand because of their health benefits but its associated<br/>hazards are not taken into consideration. The incidence of food borne outbreaks involving fresh produce is<br/>of worldwide concern. Consumer demand would be for bacteriological safe fresh fruits and vegetables, yet<br/>cases have proven that consuming these fresh fruits and vegetables is not always safe. A survey of 63<br/>samples of fresh fruits and vegetables were screened for the presence of Shigella species consisting of the<br/>following: Cucumber (Cucumis satavum), Carrot (Daucus carota), Pawpaw (Carica papaya), Watermelon<br/>(Citrullus lanatus), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and Pineapple (Ananas<br/>cosmosus) bought from Magboro or Ibafo markets in Ogun State and Jakande market, Magodo market and<br/>Yaba market in Lagos state. Ibafo lettuce (SIL) had the highest total viable count of 7.8 log10 cfu/g.<br/>Shigella species were identified in 21 samples (33%) of the fresh produce. Lettuce, cabbage, and carrot<br/>had the highest number of Shigella, revealing that the fresh produce had been highly polluted by<br/>pathogenic microbes. The largest incidence of Shigella species was found positive in lettuce, followed by<br/>carrots, and cabbage. Molecular confirmation by PCR of the shigella species carried out using 16S rDNA<br/>and ipaH gene. Most fruits and vegetables investigated in this study were heavily contaminated with<br/>shigella species and could be linked to improper hygiene by the food handlers. Adequate awareness<br/>should be provided to the general public in terms of safety and hygiene of fresh produce from this<br/>locations.<br/> |
