Determination of the presence of Escherichia coli in the peel and edible part of the banana and evaluation of its growth during post-harvest process and storage at controlled temperature

Abstract

To ensure innocuous food for consumers, agroindustries have implemented preventive practices and have developed research that supports their processes. The banana producing guild in Guatemala required to determine the presence of Escherichia coli in the peel and edible part of the fruit, and to determine the growth of this bacteria during postharvest and storage processes. The study was carried out in four banana packing plants in Guatemala with two objectives; the first one was to determine if E. coli is able to infiltrate the edible part of the banana during postharvest washing. e second objective was to determine if there is E. coli in the banana peel at stowage and in simulation of controlled temperature storage. For the first objective, two boxes of banana were randomly collected from a packing line, then were transferred to the laboratory where the conditions of the washing tank were replicated and E. coli was introduced intentionally. The most probable number method was used to analyze the maceration of the fruit. For the second objective, five boxes of bananas were randomly collected from three packing plants. Samplings were made to the peel of two bananas per box, at stowage, and then during storage at temperatures between 17 and 18° C, during the 4th and 18th day. The results indicated absence of E. coli in the edible part of the fruit and in the banana peel at stowage area, and at controlled storage temperature during the evaluation time.