The hygienic quality of vegetables grown in or imported into the Netherlands: a tentative survey.

Samples of 61 home grown and 199 imported vegetables of different varieties were examined for Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci and, when E. coli was present, for salmonellas. Eleven per cent of samples contained greater than 10(4) E. coli per 100 g, and 14% greater than 10(6) faecal streptococci per 100 g. Salmonellas were isolated from 23 out of 103 samples examined. Salmonellas were isolated from 8% of 76 samples with E. coli less than 10(4)/100 g, but from 63% of 27 samples with E. coli exceeding 10(4)/100 g; from 6% of 65 samples containing less than 10(6) faecal streptococci/100 g but from 51% of 37 samples containing more than 10(6)/100 g. S. typhi was isolated from one sample of vegetables imported from the tropics. To our knowledge this is the first isolation of S. typhi from food in the Netherlands. Products from tropical countries were found to present the highest level of contamination. The hygienic quality of Dutch products is sometimes inferior to that of similar imported products, although the different seasons of sampling may have influenced the result. For the prevention of risk to the consumer of vegetables, good kitchen hygiene would appear to be the most important factor.