Noronha, LúciaCastro, AnaFerreira, VâniaMagalhães, RuiAlmeida, GonçaloMena, CristinaSilva, JoanaTeixeira, Paula2017-10-172017-10-172016NORONHA, Lúcia; CASTRO, Ana; FERREIRA, Vânia; MAGALHÃES, Rui; ALMEIDA, Gonçalo; MENA, Cristina; SILVA, Joana; TEIXEIRA, Paula - Study of Biological Hazards Present on the Surfaces of Selected Fruits and Vegetables . American Journal of Advanced Food Science and Technology. ISSN 2162-9722. Vol. 4, n.º 1 (2016), p. 1-9http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/23128This study evaluated the microbial load on the surface of fruits with rough and very pronounced textured peels, namely pineapples and melons (cantaloupe), and investigated the presence of foodborne pathogens in these products since they are usually eaten raw. Similarly, lettuce is one of the most common salad vegetables consumed raw in Portugal, it therefore being important to study the microbial status of lettuce leaves. Enumerations of aerobic mesophilic counts, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli and coagulase-positive staphylococci, as well as detection of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp., were performed for all samples. Only in melon samples were E. coli and coagulase-positive staphylococci not detected. Contamination with L. monocytogenes varied from 2.5% and 15% in pineapple/melon and lettuce samples, respectively. Salmonella spp. were not detected. All coagulase-positive staphylococci had similar characteristics and none exhibited multidrug resistance. L. monocytogenes isolates belonged to serogroups II (1/2c or 3c), or to serogroup IV (4b, 4d and 4e). None were found to be resistant to antibiotics commonly used in therapy of listeriosis.engLettucePineappleCantaloupeL. monocytogenesCoagulase-positive staphylococciSalmonellajournal article10.7726/ajafst.2016.1001