by CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Food safety in a society with growing urbanization, sustainable city-region and resilient food systems are essential in ensuring food and health security. Food crops such as pineapple and watermelon contribute to food and nutrition security. Fruits are rich source of vitamins and minerals required by the human body for nourishment, growth and metabolism. They are agricultural products which are readily obtained from many markets across the country. Most are eaten raw with little or no processing. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is one of such fruits. It is a vegetative propagated fruit crop that is grown and consumed by almost every country of the world. It is one of the few crops in which cultivars are derived from spontaneous mutations and natural evolution without controlled breeding (Osei-kofi et al, 2017).
In developing countries like Nigeria, millions of people on a daily basis consume ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables that are sold by vendors on the streets of major cities and towns (Okechukwu et al., 2016). These fruits include oranges, pineapples, water melons, cucumber, and apples to mention but a few. The fruits are often desired and consumed fresh by the populace. Fruits have been shown to help balance vitamin A and C deficiencies and also lower the risk of some diseases. Due to increased knowledge of the health benefits of these fruits, their consumption is on the increase across the length and breadth of Nigeria. This is due to the accessibility, modern lifestyle of consumers, availability and affordability (Okechukwu et al., 2016). due to the high costs of the whole fruits as seen with water melons and pineapple, some of these fruits are sold in small sliced pieces so as to make the fruits affordable to many Nigerians. These are usually sliced with stainless knives and then packaged in transparent nylons or polythene bags. Because they are preprocessed by the vendors, when purchased by consumers, they are consumed without rinsing or further processing (cutting and peeling). The processing of these fruits by vendors comes with potential risks of contamination and transmission of pathogens from the fruits and vendors to consumers. In an earlier study, it was shown that enteric pathogens are readily transmitted from ready-toeat fruits. Bacteria and fungi are the common contaminants of fruits and they could be easily transferred from the vendors to the processed fruits through mishandling. (Okechukwu et al., 2016).
Fruits serve as a remarkable dietary reservoir of essential nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and dietary fiber for individuals, playing a crucial role in promoting overall health and wellbeing. In Nigeria, there has been a significant increase in the consumption of commercially available ready-to-eat fruits packaged in nylon or plastic containers in Nigeria. This trend is driven by the convenience, accessibility, and lower cost of these products compared to whole fruits. Other contributing factors include modern lifestyles, industrialization, economic challenges, materialistic tendencies, and time constraints for preparing nutritious meals (Jerry et al., 2016). According to Jerry et al. (2016), diets that are well balanced and rich in fruits have been documented to prevent hypovitaminosis (especially of Vitamin A and C) and some diseases. Fruits are susceptible to microbial contamination resulting from their exposure to various sources such as soil, dust, and water, as well as mishandling during both harvesting and post-harvest processing stages.
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a widely consumed tropical fruit known for its pleasant aroma, taste, and nutritional value. It is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes such as bromelain, which offer numerous health benefits. With the increasing demand for ready-to-eat and pre-cut fruits, sliced pineapples have become popular among urban consumers due to their convenience. However, the minimal processing involved in slicing and packaging pineapples makes them susceptible to microbial contamination, especially when hygienic practices are compromised during handling, storage, and transportation. (Buckley et al., 2017) Pineapples contain high level of sugars and other nutrients and are low pH values which make them particularly prone to bacteria infestation. Bacteria can survive and grow on pineapples as source of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Ripe fruits including pineapple are soft and susceptible to infestation by a variety of disease-causing organisms including bacteria. Softening due to ripening is the major cause of post harvest losses incurred on most fruits. Pineapple infection may occur during the growing season, harvesting, handling, transport, post harvest processing and marketing conditions or after purchase by the consumer. . It is one of the fruits commonly peeled, cut, sliced, wrapped in transparent polythene bags and sold at cheaper rates in the markets because consumers may not have time to prepare the fruit on their own or they may not have enough money to buy the whole fruit which is always more expensive than the sliced ones (Lima et al., 2019). These traders cut the pineapple into different sizes for different prices and sold to the consumers without proper hygienic handling and refrigeration. They stay for several hours depending on the nature of the sale for the day. They remain at temperatures according to the atmospheric condition of that area. This leads to the growth of spoilage and pathogenic organisms like bacteria, yeast or molds when conditions (moisture, warmth and others) become favorable for their propagation. (Isong, 2017). The food consumed has a direct influence on health. It is therefore an important task for food inspectors, food manufacturers and food handlers to keep food safe from pathogenic microorganisms, especially when such foods are to be consumed without further process that is ‘ready-toeat’ foods or fast foods. (Oranusi and Braide, 2012). Pineapple is a cylindrical false fruit (pseudo-fruit) of the family Bromeliaceae and consists of a thickened, fleshly, very juicy axis core and inedible, scaly, warty skin, resembling a pine core. Only the polygonal, flattened outsides of the individual fruits are visible at the surface of the multiple fruit (syncarp) (Chaurasiya et al., 2015). The fruit is topped by a crown of prickly leaves. The axis core (central cylinder) in the middle of the false fruit is woody and therefore inedible. They can be used in the preparation of jellies, juice, jams and fruit salad. Microorganisms are naturally present on all food stuff and can also be brought in by outside elements (wind, soil, water, insects, animals, human handling). They can become contaminated during growing, harvesting and transport of the raw materials and/or processing into edible products (Kochhar, 2016)
Statement of the Problem
The consumption of sliced and ready-to-eat fruits such as pineapple has become increasingly popular due to their convenience and nutritional value. However, this convenience often comes at the cost of food safety, particularly when such products are sold under unhygienic conditions. In many markets and street vending locations, sliced pineapples are exposed to environmental contaminants and handled without proper sanitary practices. This creates a favorable environment for the growth and transmission of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Background revealed that sliced fruits, including pineapples, can harbor a wide range of microorganisms, some of which are capable of causing foodborne illnesses. Despite the potential health risks, there is limited current data on the microbial quality of sliced pineapple sold in many local markets, particularly in developing regions. Furthermore, vendors often lack awareness of proper food handling techniques, and regulatory oversight is either weak or absent.
The absence of specific and up-to-date microbial profiling of such widely consumed products poses a challenge for public health authorities and consumers alike. Without proper identification and characterization of the microorganisms involved, it becomes difficult to implement targeted interventions, enforce food safety standards, or educate vendors and consumers effectively.
