Microbial evaluation of fresh,minimally-processed vegetables and bagged sprouts from chain supermarkets

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial and fungal quality of minimally-processed vegetables (mpv) and sprouts. a total of 116 samples of fresh-cut vegetables,ready-to-eat salads,and mung bean and wheat sprouts were randomly collected and analyzed. the load of aerobic mesophilic bacteria was minimum and maximum in the fresh-cut vegetables and fresh mung bean sprouts respectively,corresponding to populations of 5.3 and 8.5 log cfu/g. e. coli o157:h7 was found to be absent in all samples; however,other e. coli strains were detected in 21 samples (18.1%),and salmonella spp. were found in one mung bean (3.1%) and one ready-to-eat salad sample (5%). yeasts were the predominant organisms and were found in 100% of the samples. geotrichum,fusarium,and penicillium spp. were the most prevalent molds in mung sprouts while cladosporium and penicillium spp. were most frequently found in ready-to-eat salad samples. according to results from the present study,effective control measures should be implemented to minimize the microbiological contamination of fresh produce sold in tehran,iran. © international centre for diarrhoeal,disease research,bangladesh.