Bacterial contamination and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes in raw fruits and vegetables sold in Delhi, India

Fresh fruits and vegetables contaminated with microbial pathogens can cause outbreaks of food poisoning and other enteric diseases if consumed raw. The objective of the present study was to determine the bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistance in fresh produce sold in Delhi, India. One hundred fifty samples of fruits and vegetables generally consumed raw were collected from retail and wholesale vendors of Delhi-NCR, India. Microbial contamination was studied by culturing 25 g of each sample. Antimicrobial resistance testing was performed for isolated pathogens and resistance phenotypes determined. Overall, 97.3% of fruit and vegetables sampled were contaminated with pathogens. In over 75% of samples, coliforms were detected with Escherichia coli in 17.4%. Majority of vegetables were contaminated with coliforms particularly ginger (100%), cabbage (80%), cucumber (75%), and tomato (75%). Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) was detected in eight (5.7%) isolates, carbapenem resistance in four with three metallo-beta-lactamases producers. E. coli was isolated at a significantly higher rate from retail shops viz-a-viz wholesale markets (p value = .04). As high level of contamination with potential human pathogens is present in fruits and vegetables sold in wholesale markets and retail shops in Delhi-NCR, the study underlines the need for stricter regulations and implementation of standards. Practical applications The present study highlights the high level of contamination with potential human pathogens including coliforms present in fruits and vegetables sold in wholesale markets, self-service retail shops and road side push carts in Delhi-NCR, India. Presence of extended spectrum beta-lactamases and metallo beta-lactamases producing organisms in fruits and vegetables is a concerning food safety issue. Therefore, the study underlines the need for periodic monitoring of produce at various levels of production and sale are required to achieve satisfactory levels of microbial load.