UP researchers detect high E.coli presence in urban farm vegetables 

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) have discovered higher levels of E.coli bacteria present in urban farm vegetables compared to those being sold in wet markets in Metro Manila. 

Scientists assessed 419 vegetable samples from three urban farms and four major wet markets in the capital region “during the peak of the pandemic to detect and quantify the presence of E. coli.” 

“The group detected E. coli in 13.60% of all the samples. The presence of E.coli in the samples from urban farms was also higher than in the samples obtained from wet markets,” the UPD College of Science (CS) said in a statement. 

The high levels of E.coli in the samples from urban farms could be linked to various factors, such as lack of thorough post-harvest processing. 

“As observed in the urban farm sampling sites, they frequently use rainwater, pond water, and well water for irrigation, mainly for economic reasons, but this increases the risk of bacterial contamination,” said Pierangeli Vital of the UPD-CS Natural Sciences Research Institute. 

E.coli can be found in the feces of humans and animals. While most strains are harmless, some can cause food-borne diseases such as gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, and dysentery. 

According to the scientists, animals like dogs, cats, and chickens that often roam around urban farms “raises the risk of microbial contamination in the irrigation water and soil where the vegetables grow.”

But diseases caused by E.coli contamination can be prevented even at home. 

“Proper handling and cooking must be practiced at home, which involves simple steps such as thoroughly washing hands and kitchenware as well as disinfecting table surfaces when preparing food, using clean water when washing vegetables, effectively separating cooked and raw foods, and storing food the right way,” said Vital. 

Bacterial infections were the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for one in eight of all deaths in 2019, according to a study released in 2022. 

Bacteria was associated with 7.7 million deaths—13.6% of the global total in 2019. 

Just five of the 33 bacteria were responsible for half of those deaths: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

— LA, GMA Integrated News