Assessing Microbiological Quality and Safety of Fresh Fruits Sold at Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia

There is ample evidence that eating fresh fruits has numerous health and nutritional advantages, making them an indispensable part of the human diet. They are one of the main causes of food-borne illnesses if they are not properly harvested, processed, stored, and handled. This study aimed to assess the microbial quality and safety of fresh fruits sold in Nekemte town. Sixty samples were collected from open markets and analyzed for their microbial quality and safety. The study found that the highest total viable count was found in avocado, followed by papaya, banana, and orange. The highest ASFBC count was found in banana, while the lowest was in orange. The highest total coliform count was found in banana. The study identified eleven bacterial genera, including Enterobacter spp, Escherichia spp, Klebsella spp, Staphylococcus spp, Aeromonas spp, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp, Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Samonella spp, and Streptococcus spp. The most dominated genera were Staphylococcus spp, Escherichia spp, Streptococcus spp, Shigella spp, Aeromonas spp, and Proteus spp. The results suggest that contamination during fruit harvesting or processing and handling could lead to foodborne illnesses. Regular supervision and training can improve the quality of fresh fruit.