Hygienic quality of ready-to-eat salads sold in the street and a modern restaurant in Lomé, TOGO

Abstract

Poisoning following salads consumption was often reported in Lomé. This study was carried out to evaluate contamination of salads sold in Lomé. Sixty salad samples from modern restaurant (Domino), seventy from street sellers and forty of fresh vegetables from two markets were randomly collected. Microbiological quality of samples was examined on the basis of AFNOR methods and criteria. Salad selling occurs in room temperature. That modern restaurant uses cold to preserve foods. Microbial analyzes revealed that, Total viable count (TVC) load ranged from 2.15x10⁴ – 9.2x10¹⁰ and 1.8x10³ – 2.7x10⁷ with 10% and 86.66% of satisfactory quality samples respectively for Domino and Street salads. Total and thermo-tolerant coliforms load ranged from 60-3.4x10⁶ and 0-6.2x10³ respectively for street salads with 14.28% and 57.15% of satisfactory samples. Domino samples located between 0-7x10³ and 0-2.5x10³ with 96.66% and 81.33% of conformity respectively. E. coli and S. aureus were isolated (0-2.5x103 and 0-103) respectively with 77.14% and 84.28% of satisfactory samples for street salads. These bacteria did not induce any conform samples. Salmonella spp were not found in salads and raw vegetable. Application of good hygiene practices rules would help to reduce disease risk related to the presence of pathogenic germs like E. coli and S. aureus.

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Keywords: Food poisoning, Vegetable food, microbiological safety