Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture (Mar 2008)
STUDY THE EFFECTS OF HYPOCHORITE ON SOME MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF SOME TYPE OF SALAD VEGETABLES IN LOCAL MARKETS
Abstract
This study was done to analysis three hundred and tow samples of vegetables salad from local markets to found the total and fecal coliform, molds, and salmonella, in addition to study the role of sodium hypochlorite on counts of above microorganisms after infusion and shaking the samples for 5, 10, and 15 minutes. The results indicated the total counts of coliform were arranged from 2.8 × 105 in tomatoes to 4.2 × 108 cell/g in cucumber. When the fecal coliform counts were at range between 1.1× 103 in tomatoes and 2.9× 106 cell/g in lettuce, and the molds counts were from 1.3 × 105 in cucumber to 3.4 × 106 in lettuce. The bacterial types of salmonella were founds in tomatoes, Onion, Cucumber, Capsicums, Lettuce, and Celery samples at 4.1, 6.5, 7.4, 8.3, 13.8, and 22.7%, respectively. The infused of vegetables samples in hypochlorite for 5 minutes were causes reduced the total counts of coliform which became arranged between 17 in tomatoes to 120 cell/g in lettuce, and the fecal coliform were only founds in lettuce, celery, and cucumber samples at 10, 12, and 14 cell/g respectively, Also the molds were at 13, 12, and 10 cell/g respectively. Where the salmonella types were not founds in any samples after treatment. The infused vegetables samples in hypochlorite for 10 minutes causes a sharp reduced and non found any microorganism in all samples unless in lettuce and celery were found total coliform at 22 and 8, fecal coliform at 4 and 3 and molds at 6 and 4 cell/g, respectively. The infusion of vegetable samples in hypochlorite for 15 minutes causes clearance the samples from all microorganisms.