SHIELDING BANGLADESH'S EXPORTABLE BETEL LEAVES: MANAGING E. coli AND Salmonella CONTAMINATION

DOI: http://doi.org/10.55706/ijbssr12111
The study examined
the presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in soil, water, and
mature betel leaf samples at preharvest stages across three upazilas in Kushtia
district: Kushtia Sadar, Mirpur, and Daulatpur, although these pathogens do not
typically affect betel leaf and other fresh vegetables. Researchers tested the
samples before and after sanitization with calcinated calcium (CCa) from May to
September 2020. They collected soil, water, and betel leaf samples from 15
farmers' fields, and initially, all samples were contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella spp. After sanitization, E. coli contamination persisted in a few samples: 22.22% in Sadar,
28.89% in Mirpur, and 35.56% in Daulatpur, while Salmonella spp. was eradicated. Potential contamination vectors
included dogs (86.67%), birds (77.78%), and cats (59.26%). In Dhaka, betel
leaves from the central pack house showed significant contamination differences
post-washing. Before washing, 51.67% of leaves had E. coli and 41.50% had Salmonella
spp. After three washes with CCa, contamination was completely eliminated for
both pathogens. The study highlights the effectiveness of CCa in reducing
microbial contamination but also points out the need for better contamination
control strategies and training for farmers to mitigate vector-related
contamination. This comprehensive study highlights the effectiveness of CCa in
reducing microbial contamination in betel leaf production and underscores the
need for ongoing management to mitigate recontamination risks from
environmental vectors.