Evaluation of fresh vegetable microbiological contamination in fast-food restaurants

Purpose - Fresh vegetables contain advantageous phytochemical components, making them one of the most significant sources of nutrition. The threat of harmful bacteria still exists because these vegetables are not heated in restaurants before being consumed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the microbial quality of fresh vegetables in restaurants of different levels. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 499 fresh vegetable samples (from sandwiches and fresh-cut vegetable salads) were collected from 3 different types of food service establishment: 201 from international restaurants (IRs), 210 from national restaurants (NRs), and 88 from cafeterias (CAs). The samples were prepared and inoculated on specific growth media. The aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB)Campylobacterspp.,Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus),Enterobacteriaceae,Escherichia coli(E. coli)and yeast and molds were counted, andListeria monocytogenes,Salmonellaspp. andEscherichia coliO157 were detected using specialized medium. Findings - High counts ofS. aureus, above 3 log cfu/g, suggested that 71.5% of samples collected from NRs and 77.3% from CA were not accepted, whereas 81.6% of samples collected from IRs were accepted. The low population ofE. coli, less than 2 log cfu/g, suggested that 99.0, 97 and 92.0 % of samples collected from IRs, NRs and CA, respectively, were accepted.Listeria monocytogenesandEscherichia coliO157 were absent from every sample. One sample was positive forSalmonellaspp. in each of the NR and CA sample groups. Originality/value - RIs adhere to health and hygiene standards better than NRs and CAs, according to the findings of vegetable contamination tests.