Contamination of Tomatoes with Coliforms and XXXX on Farms and in Markets of Northwest Nigeria.

@entity25736 @entity523 @entity526
UNASSIGNED: Although recent reports indicated that produce contamination with foodborne pathogens is widespread in Nigeria, the sources and magnitude of microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables on farms and in markets have not been thoroughly identified. To ascertain possible pathways of contamination, the frequency and magnitude of coliform and @entity526 contamination of tomatoes produced in northwest Nigeria was assessed on farms and in markets. Eight hundred twenty-six @entity523 fruit samples and 36 irrigation water samples were collected and assessed for fecal indicator organisms. In addition, the awareness and use of food safety practices by @entity523 farmers and marketers were determined. Median concentration of coliforms on all field- and market-sourced @entity523 fruit samples, as well as in irrigation water sources, in Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina states exceeded 1,000 @entity25736 ( @entity25736 ) per g. Median @entity526 counts from 73 (17%) of 420 field samples and 231 (57%) of 406 market @entity523 fruit samples exceeded 100 @entity25736 /g. Median @entity526 concentrations on @entity523 fruits were higher (P < 0.01) in the rainy season (2.45 Log @entity25736 /g), when irrigation was not practiced than in the dry (1.10 Log @entity25736 /g) and early dry (0.92 Log @entity25736 /g) seasons. Eighteen (50%) of 36 irrigation water samples had @entity526 counts higher than 126 @entity25736 /100 ml. Median @entity526 contamination on market @entity523 fruit samples (2.66 Log @entity25736 /g) were higher (P < 0.001) than those from tomatoes collected on farms (0.92 Log @entity25736 /g). Farmers and marketers were generally unaware of the relationship between food safety practices and microbial contamination on fresh produce. Good agricultural practices pertaining to food safety on farms and in local markets were seldom used. Adoption of food safety practices on-farm, during transport, and during marketing could improve the microbial quality of tomatoes available to the public in this region of the world.
