Analysis of microbial contamination of sprouts and fresh-cut salads in a market

Abstract

Although bacterial outbreaks from ready-to-eat foods have increased, little information is available on microbial quality of sprouts in markets. Fifty sprouts and 30 salads were collected from wholesale markets. Total aerobic count (TAC), coliform, Escherichia coli, and some pathogens were detected. TAC for sprouts was 7.95 log CFU/g and 6.70 for salads, indicating that sprouts were more contaminated by 1 log CFU/g than that of salads. The numbers of coliform were 6.69 log CFU/g for sprouts and 5.42 for salads. E. coli was detected in 16 of 50 sprout samples at 2.38 log CFU/g and eight of 30 salads at 2.21 log CFU/g. Bacillus cereus was detected in 29 of 50 sprout samples and 16 of 30 salads, and the counts were mostly <3 log CFU/g. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens were not detected. Therefore, although pathogens may not be a high risk for these foods, the high TAC and E. coli contamination require improved production and distribution methods, particularly for sprouts. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology.