Abstract:
Fresh fruits and vegetables are on an increase demand because of their health benefits but its associated
hazards are not taken into consideration. The incidence of food borne outbreaks involving fresh produce is
of worldwide concern. Consumer demand would be for bacteriological safe fresh fruits and vegetables, yet
cases have proven that consuming these fresh fruits and vegetables is not always safe. A survey of 63
samples of fresh fruits and vegetables were screened for the presence of Shigella species consisting of the
following: Cucumber (Cucumis satavum), Carrot (Daucus carota), Pawpaw (Carica papaya), Watermelon
(Citrullus lanatus), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and Pineapple (Ananas
cosmosus) bought from Magboro or Ibafo markets in Ogun State and Jakande market, Magodo market and
Yaba market in Lagos state. Ibafo lettuce (SIL) had the highest total viable count of 7.8 log10 cfu/g.
Shigella species were identified in 21 samples (33%) of the fresh produce. Lettuce, cabbage, and carrot
had the highest number of Shigella, revealing that the fresh produce had been highly polluted by
pathogenic microbes. The largest incidence of Shigella species was found positive in lettuce, followed by
carrots, and cabbage. Molecular confirmation by PCR of the shigella species carried out using 16S rDNA
and ipaH gene. Most fruits and vegetables investigated in this study were heavily contaminated with
shigella species and could be linked to improper hygiene by the food handlers. Adequate awareness
should be provided to the general public in terms of safety and hygiene of fresh produce from this
locations.
