MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPOILAGE OF TOMATOES (Lycopersicon esculentum), SOLD IN NIGERIAN MARKET

Abstract

Tomato is a widely consumed fruit, eaten in both raw and processed forms. It is rich in vitamins which are vital nutrients in man. This study investigates the microbes associated with the deterioration of fresh tomatoes, (Lycopersicon esculentum) in Nigeria, Market. A total of sixteen tomato samples were obtained from eight different retail outlets and transported to Bingham University Pharmaceutical Microbiology laboratory. Pour plate method was used to isolate bacteria and fungi from the tomato samples. The bacterial count ranged from 2.9 x 10⁵ to 9.8 x 10⁵ cfu/g. Bacteria isolated and identified were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp and Salmonella sp. The most prevalent bacterial isolate was E. coli with 37.5% and was found in some samples and salmonella sp was the lest prevalence with 12.5%. The fungi count ranged from 1.4 x 10⁵ to 2.2 x 10⁵ cfu/g. The fungal isolates were Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Penicillium sp and Mucor sp with the most prevalent being Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The presence of these fungi, as well as the bacteria isolates, which are capable of causing food poisoning, raises concern over public health risks that may be associated with the consumption of spoilt fresh tomato. Proper handling, transportation and thorough washing with clean or chlorinated water will reduce the risk of tomato spoilage associated with microbes.