Influence of season on microbiological loads in ready-to-eat vegetables

The safety of ready-to-eat vegetables was evaluated in relationship to microbiological risk to human health associated with their consumption through the study of hygiene-health requirements. Vegetable quality was tested using standard methods to enumerate E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae, that are indicators of contamination in food processing. The presence of other microorganisms such as Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes was also ascertained. During the warm seasons (spring and summer), the ready-to-eat products had high aerobic plate counts at 30°C (8.9x10 6 cfu/g); Enterobacteriaceae were also recorded (2.4×10 4 cfu/g). Therefore, these products should be transported and stored according to the strict requirements of the cold chain cycle. An information campaign targeting both the demand and supply sides should be carried out. Consumers should be made aware of the necessity to preserve the food cold-chain in order to minimize the risk of microbial contamination (e.g., by using thermal bags to transport food). Likewise, ready-to-eat products should be properly labelled.