Parasitic Contamination in Ready-to-Eat Salads in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Globally, vegetables have become an essential part of the human diet due to their high nutritional benefits. They are usually eaten raw or partially cooked and therefore could become vehicles for transmission of food-borne illness. This study therefore assessed parasitic contamination of ready-to-eat vegetable salads from street vended foods in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the level of parasitic contamination of ready-to-eat vegetable salads in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana. A total of 313 ready-to-eat vegetable salads were randomly sampled, washed with physiological saline solution using concentration method and microscopically examined. Results: Of the 313 samples examined, about a third (32%) was contaminated with at least one parasite. Overall, twelve genera of parasites were recovered with Giardia lamblia (6.7%), Entamoeba histolytica (6.4%) and Moniezia spp. (4.2%) predominating. Other parasites detected included Trichuris trichiura (3.8%) and Entamoeba coli (3.5%), with the rest recording low prevalence (<2%). Conclusion: The presence of intestinal parasites point to a risk of food-borne illnesses from consumption of street-vended vegetable salads. Vegetable salads were found to be a potential source of parasitic infections.