ASSESMENT OF MICRO ORGANISMS IN MINIMALLY PROCESSED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
Vegetables and fruits that have been physically
altered from its original state but remain in its fresh state are considered
minimally processed. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important source of
nourishment and a vital ingredient in healthy and balanced diets. Minimally processed fruits and vegetables are good media for
growth of microorganisms, infact the habour potential pathogens. They have been
involved in disease outbreaks because of the consumption of products
contaminated by pathogens. They are also sensitive to various spoilage
microorganisms such as salmonella Spp. Shigella Spp. E. Coli and a host of
other pathogenic organisms. Contamination of minimally processed fruits and
vegetables occurs at every stage of the food chain, from cultivation to
processing. Polluted environments or a poor hygienic condition in minimal
processing (that is during peeling, cutting or slicing) increases the risk of
contamination with foodborne pathogens. The four fruits and three vegetables
(water melon, pineapple, paw-paw citrus, Pumpkin, Spinach and Cabbage) assessed
bacteriologically had high viable counts even though within tolerable limits. A
good pre-decontamination of these fruits and vegetables can be achieved through
various forms of washing as shown by this study will reduce the density of the
microbial load. These forms of washing include: washing with tap water, washing
with distilled water or washing with salted water. This work has been able to
determine the total bacterial load of the minimally processed fruits and
vegetables from Nasarawa local market. And it has also been able to access the
effectiveness of some selected antibiotics in other to treat some of the
disease that can arise as a result of the consumption of the contaminated food.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Vegetables and fruits
that have been physically altered from its original state but remain in its
fresh state are considered minimally processed. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important source of
nourishment and a vital ingredient in healthy and balanced diets. Fresh produce
is highly recommended in any diet, virtually without quantitative restriction.
Minimally processed fruits and vegetables are products that undergo some
industrial or manual processing (such as peeling, slicing, chopping, shredding,
trimming, washing or packaging) which make them ready
for consumption. However, in this dicing step occurs the release of internal
cellular fluid rich in nutrients, which allow microorganisms to multiply
rapidly increasing the initial microbial load and thus reducing considerably
the shelf life of these products. Washing and soaking with sanitizing chemicals, followed by
slicing, are stages of a complex, multipart process developed to preserve and
guarantee the quality of minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Packaging
in modified atmospheres, together with refrigeration, slows down air flow and
consequently the respiration of the vegetables. Bacterial growth is also
inhibited, and the shelf-life of the product is enhanced. (Fallik and Aharoni,
2004).
Advances in processing and
conservation technologies, together with better distribution and trading, have
made nearly all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables available, with good
quality. On the other hand, some of the technologies employed have increased
health hazards, mainly associated with pathogenic microorganisms. Several
outbreaks of gastroenteritis (A condition that causes irritation and
inflammation of the stomach and intestine) have been imputed to the consumption
of contaminated fresh vegetables. Toxin infections associated with ingestion of
vegetables, which revealed a lack of hygiene during manipulation, have been
recorded.
Food-borne parasites have received
little attention in developing countries. As a rule, these organisms infest
fruits vegetables while still in the field, and are usually transmitted by
contaminated wash water and spread by ineffective hygiene practices. Control of
protozoan and helminthes is a constant object of public-health strategies,
especially where reclaimed water is used. The resistant cysts or eggs of these
organisms enhance their survival in the natural environment. (Anjezaeoku, 2011).
Food safety in ready-to-eat
products, especially raw foods, has long been an object of study. In order to
effectively assess all the steps in a minimal-processing plant and to analyze
the entire food-production chain, it is important to identify the origin of the
likely contaminants. A number of studies have assessed the microbiologic
conditions of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables available in supermarkets,
street markets, and grocery shops, as well as in self-service and fast-food
restaurants. (Anjezaeoku, 2011)
From the quality stand point it is desirable to
preserve the quality and characteristics of minimally processed fruits and
vegetables at their peak. What the consumer perceives as the most appealing
attribute of this products include: their fresh-like appearance, taste and
flavor, in addition to convenience. Obviously any food product should be safe
for consumption and minimally processed fruits and vegetables are very prone to
contamination. Some of the effects of contamination of minimally processed food
include: discoloration or browning, desiccation, microbial spoilage’ Texture
changes and development of off-flavor or off-odor. (S.Demelo
Silva, 2001)
There
are few factors that increase the risk associated with minimally processed
fruits and vegetables above that of their non-processed counterparts. First,
the more a product is handled and the longer between production and
consumption, the more opportunity there is for contamination of the product.
Secondly, most minimally processed or ready-to-eat products are meant to be
taken home and eaten with no further washing or processing needed. The lack of
any step that will kill or reduce the level of contamination before consumption
increases the risk of consumer’s exposure to pathogens. Thirdly, in processing
the peel or rind is often disrupted by cutting or peeling. The peel or rind can
act as an effective barrier to microbial or chemical contaminants, so when it
is disrupted, it leaves the fruits more vulnerable to contamination. Also when
the rind happen to be contaminated, when it is cut the contaminant can be
transferred to the flesh which is more likely to be consumed. (Silva et al.,
2010)
Biological,
chemical and physical hazards May contacts fruits and vegetables through
vectors such as water, air, equipment, pest and people. These vectors allow
hazard to contact fruit, resulting in contamination during processing. Water is
a common vector used for rinsing, washing and sanitizing of fruits and
equipment during processing. It can be a major source of exposure to hazards if
not properly managed. The quality of the water used is extremely important because
of the large amount of contact it has with both fruits and equipment. (Zagory, 1999)
Minimal
processing in which fruits and vegetables are subjected to renders the products
highly perishable, hence requiring chilled storage to ensure a reasonable shelf-life,
this is as a result of the exposition of the internal tissues to microbes and
potentially deleterious endogenous enzymes. Among the possible consequences of
mechanical injury to produce are increase in respiration rate and ethylene
production, accelerated senescence and enzymatic browning (Pixley, 1913)
1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The
aim of this project work is to assess the microorganisms in minimally processed
fruits and vegetables and to provide a systematic review of the potential food
safety risks from pre-processing to sale in the market. The general objectives
are:
·
Identify the various pathogens that are
found on minimally processed fruits and vegetables.
·
The effects of these pathogens on human
health
·
Develop more effective technology for
decontaminating minimally processed fruits and vegetables containing human
pathogens
·
Proffer ways of improving the packaging
of these fruits and vegetables so as reduce micro organism infestation
1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The
scope of this project is to assess micro organisms in minimally processed
fruits (citrus, pineapple, water melon, paw-paw and mango) and vegetables
(cabbage, spinach, okro) which are mostly consumed within our locality.
The
micro organisms of interest in this study are the pathogenic organisms, that
is; micro organisms that are capable of causing diseases and are detrimental to
health with special emphasis on Samolnella
spp Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli. And also assess the
effects of this pathogen on human health and probable solution to such hazard
based on the results obtained from the assessment.
1.4 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Minimally
processed fruits and vegetables are products that are in high demand due to the
fact that it is a ready to eat product, hence assessing the microbial load as
well as providing possible solution in order to prevent contamination is of
paramout importance.
The
major constraint of this project is the cost implication, that is, the cost of
purchasing all the media (agar), as well as the materials required.
Another
important problem is difficulty involved in maintaining an aseptic condition
throughout the analysis in order to obtain accurate result.
1.5 JUSTIFICATION
The
complete execution of this project work (assessment of microorganisms in minimally
processed fruits and vegetables) will be of relevance in the following ways:
·
Production of micro-organism free fruits
and vegetables for the teaming population
·
Proper packaging of minimally processed
fruits in such a way that microorganism infestation would be minimal.
CHAPTER
TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Fresh fruits and
vegetables are considered for the sign of novel health and good source of
nutritional supplement for the human body. Due to important role of fruits and
vegetables in human diet, increasing consumption of fresh horticulture produces
for health benefits; there also have been significant changes in life style,
modern kitchen activities, and changes in consumption trends. These changes
have produced a demand for wide range of fresh produces, and have led people to
spend less time to cook and to eat easily with fresh like quality. Such trends
have been reflected in an increase in popularity of minimally processed
convenience foods that are ready to eat or ready to cook. Minimal processing
helps to firstly keep the produce fresh and supply it in a convenient form, and
secondly, extend shelf life and to facilitate its distribution to consumers.
Minimally processed fruits and vegetables are subjected to these operations:
washing, peeling, cutting, packaging and storage, and have similar quality to
the fresh product. However processing the fruit also facilitates deterioration
processes such as tissue softening, oxidative browning and production of
undesirable flavour and odour, microbial spoilage and requires specific storage
conditions. (Francis G.A 1999).
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