Microbiological Saf obiological Safety Assessment of F ety Assessment of Fresh Fruits and ruits and Vegetables Collected from Main Markets of Multan, Pakistan

Most of the research related to food-borne human pathogens is conducted on the transmission of pathogens from foods of animal origin. However, recent studies showed that fruits and vegetables are the sources of many disease outbreaks. This study was carried out to assess the current knowledge and future developments for the microbial safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eight different fruits and vegetables, i.e., grapes (Vitis vinifera), banana (Musa acuminate), orange (Citrus sinensis), apple (Malus domestica Borkh), carrott (Daucus carota), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), green chili (Capsicum annuum) and onion (Allium fistulosum) were collected from two localities to determine the frequency of microorganisms using standard plate count method. The effect of varying concentration of acetic acid on the microbial load of vegetables was evaluated at different time intervals. E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella, Shigella, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp. and Bacillus spp. were identified in this study. Highest (23.3%) frequency of occurrence was observed in case of E. coli, followed by Pseudomonas and Enterobacter spp. (16.6%), Salmonella (16%), Shigella (13.3%), Klebsiella spp. (10%) and Bacillus spp. (3.3%). This study showed that increasing vinegar concentration from 0.5 to 2.5% reduces microbial load. The risk of foodborne illness associated with consumption of fresh produce can be minimized by controlling the potential contamination.