Consumption of Traditional Leafy Vegetables (Amaranthus hybridus) and Risk of its Microbial Contamination in Daloa Town (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

Aim: It consisted to identify the different species of traditional leafy vegetables consumed, to follow the technical process of production and to specifically evaluate the risk of microbial contamination of Amaranth from urban production in Daloa. Study Design:  This study focuses on the consumption of traditional leafy vegetables. Place and Duration of Study: University of Jean Lorougnon Guédé of Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Microbiology, UFR Agroforestry, BP 150 Daloa, between November 2018 and April 2019. Methodology: On the study site, three planks of amaranth leave constituted a study block (sample). A total of 18 samples were analyzed. Then, mature Amaranth, ready for sale and then consumed, were subjected to microbiological characterization according to the standards. Results: There are seven main species of leafy vegetables consumed by Daloa populations and Amaranth is one of the most widely consumed leaves. The monitoring of production of these vegetables revealed that many of the actors were adults (> 30 years old), dominated by the female gender (63 %) and illiterate (70 %). The inputs were poultry manure, a mixture of dung and beef purse. In addition, the technical production routes were empirical. Microbiological analyzes of Amaranth leaf from selected areas showed a high level of bacterial contamination. Including indicator of general pollution like mesophilic aerobic germs, yeasts and molds, enterobacteria and indicator of fecal origin were isolated. It has been noticed the presence of pathogenic species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp in all productions. Conclusion: Amaranth leaves produced in this area aren’t suitable for human consumption and could create some sanitary risk.