INCIDENCE AND EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON Listeria monocytogenes LOAD OF FRESH CUT VEGETABLES

Fresh cut vegetable the most common food is a source of high value nutrient in human diet, processing may lead to increase microorganism in it. However, some pathogenic bacteria associated with fresh produce may cause illness, Listeriosis. The aim of the study was to determine the survival of Listeria monocytogenes and effect of processing on bacteria load of fresh cut vegetables. Processing method such as Salted Vegetable (SV), Washed Before Cutting (WBC) and Cut Before Wash (CBW) were used. Seven common vegetables (spinach, bitter leaf, scent leave, curry leaf, water leaf, fluted pumpkin, Jatropha) were screened for listeria monocytogenes using brilliance listeria oxoid (basingstokh Hampshire, UK). Result revealed that out of 105 composite of vegetable samples; 40 had Listeria sp in it leave. The incidence rate of listeria from this study was 38.1%. Water leafy had the highest incidence of listeria contamination (30%) followed by spinach (20%). Listeria count ranged from 2.39 to 4.16 and 3.30 to 3.86 log cfu/mL for water leaf and spinach. Out of the three processing methods used WBC was more effective in reducing listeria count on vegetable. It is therefore recommended that farmers should use treated waste product for vegetable planting and the imbibing of WBC method of processing for vegetables.