Occurrence of Foodborne Bacteria with Outbreak Potentials and Fungi Associated with Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Postharvest

The high-water content of tomato predisposes it to spoilage by bacteria and fungi that can pose significant health threats to consumers. However, parameters such as environment and human factors influence the rate of contamination and microbial species involved. Hence, the present study aims to determine the various pathogenic bacteria and fungi associated with tomatoes sold in some markets in southern Benin. A total of 70 tomatoes were sampled, out of which 35 undamaged tomatoes and 35 spoilt tomatoes were processed for examination of bacterial and fungi contamination by standard culture technique following standard protocols. Results indicated that out of the 70 tomatoes samples analyzed, 85.71% are contaminated with enteric bacteria. Escherichia coli was the commonest bacterial contaminant. Foodborne bacteria with outbreak potentials were also detected in analyzed samples. Fungi isolated belong to genera of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Mucor. The most identified species are Aspergillus ochraceus (98.91%), Fusarium oxysporum (84.28%), Aspergillus niger (72.85%) and Aspergillus versicolor (35.71%). The presence of these foodborne pathogens raises concern on public health risks associated with the consumption of fresh tomatoes. Efforts should be made to advise farmers to avoid the use of contaminated wastewater for irrigation during cultivation, and discourage purchasing spoilt tomatoes.