Microbial Load and Chemical Composition of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) During Market Storage

Tomatoes play a major role in food systems globally; they are consumed daily and constitute a large portion of human diet. However, this precious vegetable/fruit is easily contaminated and hence deteriorate faster. The current study investigated the microbial load and chemical composition of tomatoes sold in marketplaces. The samples were collected, stored over a period of time and their deterioration process monitored. Environmental conditions at the market stores where the tomatoes were collected was investigated using Dostmann LOG32TH data loggers. Chemical composition such as the glucose and moisture content, the pH and vitamin C levels were also determined. A total of 160 tomato samples were collected and analyzed. Eleven bacterial species were isolated, with Bacillus species being the most prevalent. Fungal species identified included Aspergillus , Alternaria , Penicillium , Yeast , Rhizopus , Bipolaris , Fusarium , Neurospora , and Rhodotorula . Tomatoes from local markets had the highest mesophilic bacterial counts (4.04–5.77 log10 CFU/g), coliform counts (5.12–6.41 log10 MPN/g), and yeast and mold counts (1.30–2.59 log10 CFU/g). Over the storage period, glucose levels, vitamin C content, and weight decreased, while moisture content and pH increased. The data suggest that tomatoes sold at local markets have higher microbial contamination, and their nutritional quality declines over time in storage as it deteriorates,