The Study Is About The Isolation And Identification Of Microorganism Associated With Vegetable Salad

1. ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISM
ASSOCIATED WITH VEGETABLE SALAD
ABSRACT
Fresh samples of vegetable salad collected from different food
outlet in Ilorin metropolis were evaluated for bacteria loads, at a
temperature of 250c and the PH of the samples which is 3.7 using
spread plate agar dilution method, the bacteria load ranges from
1.6x104cfu/g to 11.5x104cfu/g and faecal coliform ranges from
1.6x104cfu/g to 4.6x104cfu/g associated with the salad from
majority of the samples. Microorganism associated with vegetable
salad include,Bacillus anthracis mycobacterium spp, Brucella spp, Listeria
monocytogenis, Yersima enterolytia, clostridium perfringens, Klebsiella spp and M.
Paratuberculosis

2. CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Vegetables are most consumed as salads or cooked in savory
or salty dishes. While culinary fruits are usually sweet and used for
deserts, but it is not the universal rule (Harri Vaino, Franca
Bianchini, 2003).Some vegetable can be consumed raw, some may
be eaten cooked and some must be cooked to destroy certain
natural toxins or microbes in egg plant, unripe tomatoes, day lily,
winter melon, fiddle head fern, and most kinds of legume/beans
(such as common beans)
The yellow/orange colors of fruits and vegetable are due to the
presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking
processes or changes in pH. Chlorophyll is affected by the pH and it
changes to olive green in acid conditions, and to bright green in
alkaline conditions. Some of the acids are released in steam during
cooking without a cover. The red/blue coloring of some fruits and
vegetables (e.g., blackberries and red cabbage) are due to
anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. When the pH is
natural, the pigments are purple, when acidic, red, and when

3. alkaline, blue. These pigments are quite water-soluble. This
property can be used in rudimentary testing of pH.
Vegetables, as it name implies, is an edible plant or part of a
plant, other than a fruit, planned for cooking or eating raw (Harri
Vainio, Franca Bianchini,2003).
During harvesting and transportation, raw vegetables may be
bruised resulting in the release of plant nutrient, and thereby,
providing substrates for microorganism present on the surface of
the vegetables to grow. With a view of such exposure to pathogens,
vegetables have been associated with the outbreaks of food borne
disease in many countries (Alice, 2001).
Bacteria are commonly found on raw foods like salads, eggs,
beef, vegetables, cheese, ice cream, unpastaurized milk, fish, fresh
fruits, canned foods mushrooms etc(Noah,2009;Fry et al., 2005)
Outbreaks of staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus and proteus
food poisons after eating in a restaurant have been reported by
some researchers in 2001, Norinaga Miwa reported on outbreak of
staphylococcus aureus food poison due to the consumption of eggs
in boxed launches prepared at their company cafeteria.(Norinaga et
al). Aerobic colony counts, coliform and enterococci enumeration

4. are useful and most often used means of accessing overall
sanitation in the environments of food service establishment.
(Collins, 1964; Jay, 1978, Moyo and Baudi, 2004).
Effective cleaning is of prime importance since it not only
removes gross contaminations but also any residues that could
support the subsequent survivals and growth of
microorganisms.(Clark,1965).As a result of inadequate cleaning
microorganism may persists on utensil and work surfaces and build
in numbers(Fraizer and Westhoff,1988).The main objectives of
sanitations is to minimize the access of microorganisms in food
from various sources at all stages of handling
(Marrioat,1989,cords and Dychdala,1993)
Salad may be served at any point during a meal, such as:
appetizer salads, light salads to stimulate the appetite as the first
course of the meal, Dessert salads, sweet version often containing
fruit, gelatin and or whipped cream
In recent years, salad has become a very popular components
of menu served in birthdays and wedding parties; they are also sold
in fast food outlets in most major cities in Nigeria.

5. Examples of different parts of plants used as vegetables are:
coriander leaf, stem, flower bulbs, Leaves, leaf sheaths, leek, Tuber,
Roots stem shoots, stem bulbs etc
EDITOR SOURCE: Isolation And Identification Of Microorganism Associated
With Vegetable Salad