Does washing your fruit make a difference? Evaluating disinfection methods to remove bacteria from cantaloupe melon

It is well known that bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, such as the recent outbreak of Salmonella (Oct 2023 – Jan 2024) due to the contamination of cantaloupe melon. Infection with pathogenic bacteria can lead to mild symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and in the children, elderly, and immunocompromised population, it can be fatal. The first part of this study focused on growing bacteria from the skin of a variety of fruits and vegetables on TSA. Data were collected on colony number, richness, morphology, and size. The skin from all produce contained a variety of bacterial species; cantaloupe melon showed the greatest number of bacterial colonies and apple showed the least. The most common bacterial species were Gram stained. The second part of the study compared the effectiveness of various disinfection methods at removing bacteria from the skin of cantaloupe melon by observing colony number. These methods included rinsing with water, spraying with a (detergent-containing) vegetable spray, and wiping with a tea towel. The results indicated that the vegetable spray, containing detergent, had a greater effect at removing the bacteria. The produce was cut into consistent sizes and was treated with the following methods: rinsed with water, sprayed with a vegetable spray, and wiped with a tea towel. Data was collected on richness, number, morphology, and size and were analyzed (by the ANOVA test) and presented using Graph Pad Prism. The relevance of this study indicated disinfecting produce before consumption may help prevent immunocompromised individuals from contracting food-borne illnesses. Poster submission was sponsored by Dr. Liza Sutton, (Science and Technology Department) for course SRES 2100 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 11, 2024, for Student Research Days 2024.