Fecal Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables During Cultivation and Processing for Market. A Review1

Abstract

Bacteriological data collected from various field studies involving irrigation water, field crops, and soils were studied with respect to sources and magnitude of fecal contamination associated with cultivation, harvesting, and marketing of fruits and vegetables. Other reports concerned with contamination during agricultural activities were reviewed. Fecal coliform densities proved to be a better measurement of the probable occurrence of waterborne pathogens than any single test for a specific pathogenic group. When the fecal coliform density per 100 ml was above 1,000 organisms in various stream waters, Salmonella occurrence reached almost 100 per cent frequency. These data support the establishment of the proposed limit of 1,000 fecal coliforms per 100 ml of irrigation water, but approved sanitation practices must accompany (or supplement) use of this bacteriological standard. A concept of multiple safeguards to limit the public health hazard associated with poor quality irrigration water, irrigation farming practices, and market preparation of produce is discussed from the microbiological viewpoint.

Estudo da ocorrência de enteroparasitas em hortaliças comercializadas na região metropolitana de São Paulo, SP, Brasil: I - Pesquisa de helmintos

“…Os valores encontrados refletem, igualmente, condições e práticas de cultivo inadequadas do ponto de vista higiênico sanitário 10,11,22 .…”

“…As diferenças entre os níveis de contaminação nas variedades de hortaliças estudadas, entretanto, parecem estar associadas, fundamentalmente, com as condições sanitárias do ambiente em que são cultivadas, diferentes em cada horta produtora, de acordo com as práticas de cultivo utilizadas 10,11,14 . Deste modo, os menores percentuais de contaminação, observados nas amostras de alface, podem ser atribuídos, entre outros fatores, às suas melhores condições de cultivo, pois, segundo Christovão e col. 7 (1967), estas hortaliças recebem cuidados mais adequados por parte dos horticultores.…”

“…A verificação da presença de helmintos em hortaliças, portanto, reveste-se de grande interesse para a saúde pública, pois fornece dados para a vigilância sanitária sobre o estado higiênico desses produtos e permite o controle retrospectivo das condições em que foram cultivados 10,11 .…”

Comparison of beta-lactamase genes in clinical and food bacterial isolates in India

“…Furthermore, there are also reports that implicate food as a source of resistant bacteria, raising concerns of disease transmission when these food items are consumed raw [2,3]. However, reports looking for the occurrence of bla genes in food-associated enteric bacteria are elementary, particularly in India.…”

Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Processed Fruit Juice

“…Thus the transmission of some human diseases through juice and other drinks are considered a serious problem in recent years 11 .…”