Bacteriological Quality and Associated Factors of Ready-to-consume Juices in Yeka Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2025
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Ready-to-consume fruit juices are highly valued for their nutritional benefits,however, pose significant public health risks due to microbial contamination caused by poorhygiene, improper handling, and inadequate sanitation practices, particularly in low-incomecountries like Ethiopia.
Objective: To assess the bacteriological quality and associated factors of ready-to-consume fruit juices in Yeka sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2024, involving 189 juicesamples collected from 63 local vendors. The plate count method was used to determine aerobicplate counts, total coliform, and thermotolerant coliform counts, while the spread plate methodwas used for Staphylococcus count on Mannitol Salt Agar. Escherichia coli detectioninvolvedtransferring positive thermotolerant coliform samples to Nutrient broth, followed byconfirmation using Kovacs reagent. For Salmonella and Shigella, Buffered Peptone Water andRappaport Vassiliadis enrichment broths were used, with Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate Agarserving as the selective medium; pinkish colonies with black centers were confirmed throughbiochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on Muller Hinton Agar forall bacterial isolates. Vendor hygiene practices were evaluated using structured questionnairesand checklists, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. The Kruskal-Wallis H test wasused to compare medians among different juice types. Bivariate logistic regression andmultiplelogistic regression were applied to assess relationships between dependent and independentvariables, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The analysis revealed that the median for aerobic colony count, total coliform,thermotolerant coliform, and staphylococcal count across all samples were 7.14 × 106 CFU/ml,2.8 × 106 CFU/ml, 6.4 × 104 CFU/ml, and 2.2 × 103 CFU/ml, respectively. From a total of 189samples, the pathogens identified included E. coli, which was found in 29.1% of cases, S. aureusin 45.5%, and Salmonella in 6.9%. The presence of hand washing facilities, frequency of handwashing, and the cleaning agents used were significant contributing factors for the presence ofSalmonella, with AOR of 5.34 (95% CI: 1.06–26.81, p = 0.002), 0.07 (95% CI: 0.01–0.15, p <0.001), and 0.127 (95% CI: 0.028–0.57, p <0.001), respectively. Moreover, hair cover usage wasalso significantly associated with S. aureus detection with (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.2-7.1, p =0.016).E. coli exhibited moderate resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline, with 10.9% multidrugresistant(MDR). Salmonella demonstrated 100% resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline, with a15.38% MDR level. Moreover, 41.9% of S. aureus identified were MDR with resistant totetracycline (51.2% n=44/86), penicillin (90.7% n=78/86), and oxacillin (66.3% n=57/86).Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was identified in 58.1% of S. aureus isolates, whileextended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli was detected in 21.8% of E. coliisolates.
Conclusion: The findings from this study clearly indicate the poor hygienic conditions of thesejuices and the consumers are at risk of getting food-borne infections and underscore the urgentneed for improved hygiene practices, regular monitoring, and targeted public health interventionsto reduce microbial risks in ready-to-consume fruit juices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Risk factors fecal Coliform fruit juices total coliform antimicrobial resistance.