Microbiology Of Freshly Harvested And Market Retailed Cucumber

Some fresh minimally processed fruits and vegetables when eaten raw are sources of most foodborne disease outbreaks world wide . Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus) is sold along major highways, streets and markets in Nigeria. This vegetable is in very high demand and is eaten raw. The microbial flora and contamination level of the freshly harvested and market retailed produce was investigated. Some of the produce were aseptically harvested in farms in Odukpani area of Cross River State, while others were purchased in are markets in Calabar. A total of 14 species of bacteria were isolated from market retailed cucumber as against 4 species from the freshly harvested ones. Among the market retailed isolates, 4 (40%) were foodborne pathogens, 4(40%) were lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 2(20%) were contaminants. Only one probable foodborne pathogen was isolated from the freshly harvested ones. Among the 10 molds isolated, only 4 species were isolated from the freshly harvested cucumber. The average microbial load for the market retailed cucumber was 1.73 X 104 cfu/g as compared to 1.32 X 102 cfu/g for the freshly harvested produce. Results showed that market retailed produce had higher microbial load and foodborne pathogens than freshly harvested ones.