The effect of ionizing radiation on the microbiological quality on minimally processed carrot and lettuce
was studied. The aim was to investigate the effect of irradiation as a sanitizing agent on the bacteriological
quality of some raw eaten salad vegetables obtained from retailers in Accra, Ghana. Minimally
processed carrot and lettuce were analysed for total viable count, total coliform count and pathogenic
organisms. The samples collected were treated and analysed for a 15 day period. The total viable count
for carrot ranged from 1.49 to 14.01 log10 cfu/10 g while that of lettuce was 0.70 to 8.5 7 log10 cfu/10 g. It
was also observed that total coliform count for carrot was 1.46–7.53 log10 cfu/10 g and 0.14–7.35 log10 cfu
/10 g for lettuce. The predominant pathogenic organisms identified were Bacillus cereus, Cronobacter
sakazakii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella spp. It was concluded that 2 kGy was most effective for
medium dose treatment of minimally processed carrot and lettuce.