Evaluation of the Microbiological Quality of Iceberg Lettuce Commercialized in the Markets of the City of Cuenca

The consumption of vegetables free of pathogenic bacteria is of utmost importance since the absence or presence of these has a direct impact on the health of the population. Among the most frequently consumed vegetables is lettuce, due to the number of nutrients it has. We must consider that this vegetable is consumed raw, and therefore, in the environmental factors to which this type of crop is exposed, implying an undeniable risk of transmitting intestinal-type diseases if the proper measures are not taken when preparing them for human consumption. The present work focused on conducting a microbiological study to determine the presence of Escherichia coli, total Coliforms, Salmonella, and Shigella by the pour plate method in the culture medium Chromocult Agar and SS Agar as indicator bacteria of fecal contamination to determine the food safety of these lettuces at the different points of commercialization. As a result, it was found that the degree of contamination was high, independent of the sampling point.