Peru is currently one of the world’s leading culinary destinations, whose world-renowned cuisine uses vegetables, mainly lettuce, as frequent ingredients. Vegetable consumption is promoted worldwide as a part of a healthy diet. However, vegetables, more frequently lettuce, have been implicated as a vehicle of infection for several foodborne parasites. This study aimed to determine the presence of potentially pathogenic parasites in lettuce marketed in the Central Andes of Peru. A total of 75 lettuce samples were collected from the two largest wholesale markets and the main open-air market in Jauja province, in the central Peruvian Andes. The province of provenance (coast vs. highlands), lettuce variety (“curly-leaf”, “iceberg”, and “butter”), and type of market were recorded. The samples were microscopically examined for detection of parasitic life forms using standard parasitological methods including direct slide smear, Lugol’s iodine staining, and Modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining. The overall positivity of parasitic contamination in lettuces was 45.3% (CI 95%: 34–56.6%). Cryptosporidium spp., Isospora belli, Giardia lamblia, Balantidium coli, and Entamoeba spp. were detected in twenty-six (34.7%), six (8%), four (5.3%), two (2.7%), and two (2.7%) lettuces, respectively. I. belli was found in a significantly (p < 0.01) lower proportion in the “butter” variety, and significantly (p < 0.05) higher contamination with G. lamblia was found in lettuce sold at the open-air market. B. coli, G. lamblia, and E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii were detected only in lettuce from the highlands (Tarma province). This study provides important data for health authorities to develop food safety programs. This information is also of interest to the international community because of the increased visibility that Peru has gained as a tourist destination.

El pH de la carne de cobayo (Cavia porcellus) para consumo humano en los andes centrales del Perú Rev. vet. 29: 1, 65-67, 2018. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el pH de la carne de cobayos faenados en los andes centrales del Perú. Se determinó el pH de 60 canales al terminar el proceso de sacrificio y a la 1, 6, 12, y 24 h posteriores. Los pH fueron de 6,79 ± 0,3, 6,74 ± 0,34, 6,59 ± 0,28, 6,45 ± 0,35 y 5,96 ± 0,11, a las horas 0, 1, 6, 12 y 24 post sacrificio respectivamente. La ecuación que explica el comportamiento del pH fue Y=6.7765-0.0231X-0.0005X 2 (R 2 =0.996). La ausencia de un adecuado descenso del pH muscular incide negativamente en la calidad de la carne debido a la proliferación de microrganismos perjudiciales. Para mejorar la calidad y prolongar la vida útil de la carne de cobayo se requieren estudios que evalúen las repercusiones de las deficiencias constatadas durante el sacrificio, dado que no se observó descanso, ducha ante mortem ni aturdimiento.Palabras clave: Cavia porcellus, carne para consumo, sacrificio, reducción del pH, fallas detectadas. Abstract Lucas, J.R.; Balcázar, S.; Tirado, O.; Rodríguez, A.: The pH of meat of guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) for human consumption in the peruvian central Andes. Rev. vet. 29: 1, 65-67, 2018. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH of meat of Guinea pig from peruvian central andes. The pH of 60 guinea pig carcasses were analyzed at the end of the slaughter process and at 1, 6, 12 and 24 h later. The pH was 6. 79 ± 0.3, 6.74 ± 0.34, 6.59 ± 0.28, 6.45 ± 0.35 and 5.96 ± 0.11 for 0, 1, 6, 12 y 24 h post slaughtering. The equation that graphs pH was Y=6.7765-0.0231X-0.0005X 2 (R 2 =0.996). The absence of an appropriate descent of the muscular pH impacts negatively in the meat quality due to the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Studies are required to assess the impact of the deficiencies observed during slaughtering (it was not observed lairage nor ante-mortem shower and guinea pigs were not stunned prior to bleeding and sticking was carried out with conscious animals) on the quality and shelf life of guinea pig meat.