If you want to grab a bite while on the go and think that the roadside stalls selling fruit juice and fruit plates are healthy, think again.
If you want to grab a bite while on the go and think that the roadside stalls selling fruit juice and fruit plates are healthy, think again.
They are the potential sources of bacterial pathogens.
According to information provided by Equinox Lab, an expert in food hygiene and hygiene auditing, most fruits contain harmful bacterial population up to 1.0x105/ cm2 on their surface.
Improper washing of fruits adds these bacteria to extracts of fruits, leading to contamination of juice. Contaminated fruits handled at multiple points and the improper washing of utensils and glassware used in preparation and serving of juices add to the risk of bacterial contamination. The unhygienic ways of preservation without refrigeration, unhygienic surroundings like swarming flies and dust can also act as source of contamination.
“Such juices have shown to be potential sources of bacterial pathogens notably E. coli 0157:H7,” said Ashwin Bhadri, head of business relation at the Equinox Lab.
“The presence of coliforms on the surface of fruits and vegetables is indicative of fecal contamination. Fresh fruits and vegetable juices prepared in an unhygienic way are recognised as an emerging cause of food-borne illness.”
But because they are fruits people think they are nutritious and safe. “I and my friends prefer to eat fruits or drink fruit juices to other unhygienic food items. This not only keeps us safe from diseases but also helps us stay away from unwanted calories,” said Rupali Sawant, a student of Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering.
Many like Sawant do not know that fruits and vegetables are carriers of food-borne diseases. “Fruit juices are served after diluting them with water and ice. Hence, despite periodic quality control checks, outbreaks of gastroenteritis caused by pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella are common,” said officials of Equinox Lab.
In most cases, running water is not available at vending sites. The poor personal hygiene of food handlers add to the contamination. They are untrained in food hygiene and they work under unsanitary conditions with little or no knowledge about the causes of food-borne disease.
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