Quantitative Assessment of Contamination of Fresh Food Produce of Various Retail Types by Human

Quantitative assessment of contamination of fresh food produce of various retail types by human-virulent microsporidian spores.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Jun;73(12):4071-3. Epub 2007 Apr 20.

Jedrzejewski S, Graczyk TK, Slodkowicz-Kowalska A, Tamang L, Majewska AC.

Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.

This study demonstrated that fresh food produce, such as berries, sprouts, and green-leafed vegetables, sold at the retail level can contain potentially viable microsporidian spores of human-virulent species, such as Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi, at quantities representing a threat of food-borne infection.