Organic leafy vegetables may contain dangerous bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Helicobacter and threaten human health. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, who will speak about their discoveries at the congress of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases that began in Lisbon.
Experts point to an increase in consumption of organic vegetables, including raw, due to fears of crops grown using pesticides and herbicides.
Scientists have found that organic leafy vegetables may contain the simplest single-celled microorganisms, including free-living amoebae, which feed on bacteria and serve as “host organisms” for them.
“Pollution can result from tillage with organic fertilizers such as manure from irrigation systems and sewage sludge. Leafy vegetables are particularly susceptible to faecal contamination due to their proximity to the ground and the probability of being eaten uncooked.
Flavobacterium (10%) and Pseudomonas (10%) bacteria, most of which were harmless, were found in 17 lettuce and spinach samples. However, 52 species of disease-causing bacteria were found in a third of the samples, including Legionella, Salmonella and Arcobacter. Amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, which causes blindness and brain inflammation, was found in 63% of the samples.
Source: Gazeta
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