Naslov
Microbiological Assessment of „ready-to-eat“ Vegetables in Dubrovnik-Neretva County
(Microbiological assessment of „ready-to-eat“ vegetables in Dubrovnik-Neretva county)

Autori
Ljevaković-Musladin, Ivana ; Lakić, Mato

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju / - Zagreb : Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health Zagreb, 2017, 26-26

Skup
Food Safety and Quality Congress

Mjesto i datum
Opatija, Hrvatska, 21.11.2017. - 24.11.2017

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
ready-to-eat vegetables, microbiological quality, packaged products, unpackaged products

Sažetak
The aim of this study was to assess microbiological quality of ready-to-eat vegetables offered by local food business operators in Dubrovnik-Neretva county in the period 2011-2017. Vegetables have been randomly selected and sampled in hotels, restaurants and stores. Both packaged and unpackaged products were sampled. Analysis have been conducted according to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs and Croatian National Guidelines on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. A total of 126 samples were analysed for Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Coagulase-positive staphylococci, sulphite- reducing Clostridia, yeasts/molds, Listeria monocytogenes and the presence of Salmonella spp., using respective ISO methods. The results showed that 68 (54%) samples were unsatisfactory, mostly because of the high level of Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds. Unsatisfactory levels of Enterobacteriaceae was found in 55 (43, 7%) samples, yeasts/molds in 45 (35, 7%) samples, Coagulase-positive staphylococci in 4 (2, 8%) samples and E. coli in 3 (2, 1%) samples. Among the 126 samples Enterobacteriaceae, E.coli, Coagulase-positive staphylococci and yeasts/molds were 3.20–6.48, 3.60–5.81, 3.26-4.65 and 3.08–5.48 log CFU/g, respectively. Sulphite-reducing Clostridia, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. weren't detected in any of the samples. The most contaminated vegetables were lettuce, followed by tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage. All unsatisfactory samples were either sliced or grated. In 2017, 7 samples of packaged ready- to-eat leafy green vegetables were also analyzed. 4 out of 7 samples (57, 1%) were unsatisfactory due to contamination with Enterobacteriaceae (4-5 log CFU/g), although the products were labelled as ready-to-eat with no need for washing. Although pathogens weren't isolated, our study shows poor microbiological quality of vegetables and brings certain concern regarding the safety of these products. Proper washing and adequate hygiene during preparation are a „must have“ prerequisite for food safety. More studies are needed regarding microbiological quality of packaged ready-to- eat vegetables, since their mislabelling is giving a customer an incorrect information.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Prehrambena tehnologija

POVEZANOST RADA