Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T04:08:04.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The hygienic quality of vegetables grown in or imported into the Netherlands: a tentative survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

S. K. Tamminga
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
R. R. Beumer
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
E. H. Kampelmacher
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Samples of 61 home grown and 199 imported vegetables of different varieties were examined for Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci and, when E. coli was present, for salmonellas. Eleven per cent of samples contained > 104E. coli per 100 g, and 14% > 106 faecal streptococci per 100 g. Salmonellas were isolated from 23 out of 103 samples examined.

Salmonellas were isolated from 8% of 76 samples with E. coli <104/100 g, but from 63% of 27 samples with E. coli exceeding 104/100 g; from 6% of 65 samples containing < 106 faecal streptococci/100 g but from 51% of 37 samples containing more than 106/100 g.

S. typhi was isolated from one sample of vegetables imported from the tropics. To our knowledge this is the first isolation of S. typhi from food in the Netherlands. Products from tropical countries were found to present the highest level of contamination. The hygienic quality of Dutch products is sometimes inferior to that of similar imported products, although the different seasons of sampling may have influenced the result. For the prevention of risk to the consumer of vegetables, good kitchen hygiene would appear to be the most important factor.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

References

REFERENCES

Abdou, I. A., Abou-Zeid, A. A., El Sherbeeny, M. R. & Abou-El-Gheat, Z. H. (1972). Antimicrobial activities of Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Raphanus sativus, Capsicum futrescens, Eruca sativa, Allium kurrat on bacteria. Qualitas Plantarum et Materiae Vegetabilis 22, 2935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncan, D. W. & Razzell, W. E. (1972). Klebsiella biotypes among coliforms isolated from forest environments and farm produce. Applied Microbiology 24, 933–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edel, W., Guinée, P. A. M., Schothorst, M.van & Kampelmacher, E. H. (1972). The role of effluents in the spread of salmonellae. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene (Abt. I, Orig.) A 221, 547–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Ercolani, G. L. (1976). Bacteriological quality assessment of fresh marketed lettuce and fennel. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 31, 847–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fowler, J. L. & Foster, J. F. (1976). A microbiological survey of three fresh green salads; Can guidelines be recommended for these foods? Journal of Milk and Food Technology 39, 111–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, M. H., Reid, W. B. & Malcolm, J. F. (1956). The occurrence of coli-aerogenes organisms on plants. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 19, 301–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freitas, Leitao M. F. DeRomeu, A. P. & Cruz, R. R. (1973). Coliforms and fecal coliforms as contamination indicators. I. Presence in soils, water and vegetables. Abstract in Food Science and Technology Abstracts, 8 (1976)12 J 1910; from Revista Brasileira de Tecnologia 4, 207–11.Google Scholar
Geldreich, E. E. & Bordner, R. H. (1971). Fecal contamination of fruits and vegetables during cultivation for processing and market. Journal of Milk and Food Technology 34, 184–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, H. E., Brown, D. F. & Lewis, K. H. (1967). Examination of market foods for coliform organisms. Applied Microbiology 15, 1062–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Iso (1975). International Standard 3565: Meat and Meat Products – Detection of salmonellae (Reference method) 1st ed. 1975-09-01. (Ref. no. ISO 3565 – 1975 (E).)Google Scholar
Käferstein, F. K. (1976). The microflora of parsley. Journal of Milk and Food Technology 39, 837–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kampelmacher, E. H. & Noorle, Jansen L. M. van (1973). Salmonella en thermotolerante E. coli in Rijn en Maas bij het binnenstromen in Nederland. H2O 6, 199200.Google Scholar
Meneley, J. C. & Stanghellini, M. E. (1974). Dectection of enteric bacteria within locular tissue of healthy cucumbers. Journal of Food Science, 39, 1267–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papavassiliou, J., Tzannetis, S., Leka, H. & Michopoulos, G. (1967). Coli-aerogenes bacteria on plants. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 30, 219–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodriguez-Rebollo, M. (1974). Coliformes y Escherichia coli en frutas y verduras de mercado. Microbiologia Española 27, 225–34.Google Scholar
Ruschke, R. (1976). Probleme der produktionshygienischen Qualitätssicherung von Lebensmitteln insbesondere pflanzlicher Herkunft. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene (Abt. I, Orig.) B 162, 409–48.Google Scholar
Samish, Z., Etinger-Tulczynska, R. & Bick, M. (1963). The microflora within the tissue of fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Science, 28, 259–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tee, G. H. (1962). Bacteriological examination of watercress. Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service 21, 73–8.Google ScholarPubMed