Evaluation of Bacteriological Profile of the Fresh Produce in Beheira Governorate, Egypt

Abdelatty M. Saleh¹, Moustafa Y. El-Naggar¹, Abdel-Mawgood L. Ahmed² and Zakia A. Olama¹

¹ Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511,  Egypt.

² Environmental Science Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Environmental Research, Damanhour 22511, Egypt.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.11.4.19

(Received: 20 November 2017; accepted: 14 December 2017)

Abstract:

The consumption of fresh produce has increased significantly in the recent decades. So far, no data are available on the bacteriological burden and the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in fresh produce of Beheira Governorate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate some food-borne pathogens namely:  Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7, in Beheira fresh produce. A total of 200 fresh produce samples were collected during a period of 11 month originating from different 21 agricultural fields, 13 marketplaces and 19 grocery stores in Beheira Governorate (Damanhour, El Mahmodya, Abo Homous and Kafr El Dawar) (during April 2016 through March 2017). Out of 200 samples, 62 (31%) were contaminated with coliform. The highest coliform contaminated sources were that collected from grocery followed by marketplace then by agricultural field. The total mean log CFU/g ± SD for arugula, spinach and radish were the highest coliforms contaminated fresh produce among all the tested fresh produce samples while cucumber was the lowest coliform contaminated fresh produce among all the tested fresh produce samples. In the present study, Salmonella L.monocytogenes and fecal E.coli were detected18 out of 200 that represents 9% and 4 out of 200 that represents 2% and 104 out of 200 that represents 52%, respectively, while E.coli O157:H7 was not detected in all collected fresh produce samples. Proteomic identification of the isolated bacteria was made using MALDI TOF spectrometry to confirm isolates that were detected by microbiological methods and confirmed by biochemical methods. It was revealed that Salmonella isolates were considered as multidrug-resistant organisms, they showed resistance against some members of more than 3 antibiotic classes, cephalosporins (Cephradine, CE), tetracycline (Oxytetracycline, OT) and amphenicols (Chloramphenicol, C). ESBL Salmonella was detected in all isolates of the present work. ESBL was detected in all Salmonella isolates of the present work. L.monocytogenes   isolates showed sensitive to all used antibiotics under test.

Keywords:

Fresh produce, food-borne pathogens, MALDI TOF spectrometry, Beheira.