MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LEAFY GREN VEGETABLES SOLD IN THE LOCAL MARKET OF SAUDI ARABIA

Fresh leafy green vegetables (LGV) are frequently linked with outbreaks of foodborne illness in humans worldwide. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of some common foodborne pathogens and indicator bacteria that are likely to occur in LGV. In this study 105 samples of LGV, namely, lettuce, coriander, leek, dill, rocket leaves, parsley, and green onions were investigated. High total mesophilic count (> 8 log(10) cfu/g) was detected in several types of the analyzed LGV. The counts for Enterobacteriaceae ranged from 5.72 to 7.06 log(10) cfu/g in lettuce and leek, respectively. High total coliform counts were also detected in the tested vegetables, where counts ranged from 5.86 to 6.59 log(10) cfu/g. Pantoea agglomerans was recovered most frequently from the LGV (13% of the samples). E. coli was identified in rocket leaves and green onions. The resistance of the identified bacterial isolates to a set of 20 different antimicrobial agents was tested. Most of the bacterial isolates were sensitive except for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The presence of high total count, Enterobacteriaceae and coliform counts and the presence of E. coli entail implementing effective control measures to minimize risk factors that may be accrued from fresh LGV consumption.