Abstract:
ABSTRACT
omato is a widely consumed fruit, eaten in
both raw and processed forms. It is rich in
vitamins which are vital nutrients in man.
This study investigates the microbes associated
with the deterioration of fresh tomatoes,
(Lycopersicon esculentum) in Nigeria, Market. A
total of sixteen tomato samples were obtained
from eight different retail outlets and transported
to
Bingham
University
Pharmaceutical
Microbiology laboratory. Pour plate method was
used to isolate bacteria and fungi from the tomato
samples. The bacterial count ranged from 2.9 x 105
to 9.8 x 105 cfu/g. Bacteria isolated and identified
were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli,
Klebsiella sp and Salmonella sp. The most
prevalent bacterial isolate was E. coli with 37.5%
and was found in some samples and salmonella sp
was the lest prevalence with 12.5%. The fungi
count ranged from 1.4 x 105 to 2.2 x 105 cfu/g. The
fungal isolates were Saccharomyces Cerevisiae,
Penicillium sp and Mucor sp with the most
prevalent being Saccharomyces cerevisiae
