Analysis of the bacterial community within carrot wash water

Abstract

Vegetables are washed after harvest to remove unwanted organic and inorganic particles, but wash water contaminated with certain pathogenic microorganisms can potentially contaminate produce. In this study, the microbial diversity of wash water was analyzed in samples taken from a carrot-processing facility. A 16S rRNA gene library with 427 clones was constructed and analyzed by amplified rDNA restriction analysis. For taxonomic classification, the 16S rRNA gene nucleotide sequences of 94 amplified rDNA restriction analysis fingerprints were determined. Each fingerprint indicates a distinct group of microorganisms. The nucleotide sequences were assigned to corresponding reference species. The most prevalent genus was Tolumonas , with 26% of the clones, followed by Acinetobacter and Flacobacterium , with 11% each. The latter two genera contain species that are known to cause nosocomial infections. The fourth most common genus was Arcobacter , comprising 9% of all clones. Some species of Arcobacter are considered to be emerging food pathogens, mainly associated with the contamination of meat products. So far, they have not been considered as contaminants of fresh produce. Based on the sequence data, an Arcobacter-specific PCR assay was developed to facilitate the detection of vegetable-associated Arcobacter strains.

Emergence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides as a causative agent of oozing in carrots stored under non‐ventilated conditions

“…Hausdorf et al . () found both P. agglomerans and R. aquatilis in wash water from an industrial carrot washing and packing plant. It is possible that these bacteria were merely secondary colonizers that flourished in the nutrient‐rich exudate generated by L. mesenteroides .…”

Survival of Arcobacter butzleri in Apple and Pear Purees

“…is the fourth most prevalent bacteria in carrot wash water (Hausdorf et al . ). Also, 20% of fresh lettuce collected from retail markets in Valencia, Spain, was contaminated with A. butzleri (Gonzalez and Ferrus ).…”

“…Although A. butzleri contamination is documented mostly in meat products such as chicken and pork (Ho et al 2008;Lee et al 2010), it was recently reported that Arcobacter spp. is the fourth most prevalent bacteria in carrot wash water (Hausdorf et al 2011). Also, 20% of fresh lettuce collected from retail markets in Valencia, Spain, was contaminated with A. butzleri (Gonzalez and Ferrus 2011).…”

Arcobacter: an emerging food-borne zoonotic pathogen, its public health concerns and advances in diagnosis and control – a comprehensive review

“…Poultry intestines have been proposed to harbor Arcobacters and contaminate the slaughter houses during processing of the carcasses thereby enhancing the chances of further contamination (Ho et al 2008a). Arcobacters have also been recovered from a variety of foods of animal origin, namely beef, pork, milk, and sea foods, and also from water and vegetables (Son et al 2006;Collado et al 2010;Hausdorf et al 2011;Patyal et al 2011;Shah et al 2012a;Hausdorf et al 2013;Lee & Choi 2013;Rahimi et al 2014;Ramees et al 2014a;Lehmann et al 2015;Ferreira et al 2016). Contaminated water and meat play an important role in its transmission (Snelling et al 2006;Collado et al 2010;Gonz alez & Ferrus 2011;Rahimi 2014).…”