A STUDY OF MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF UN PASTEURISED PASSION FRUIT

JUICE IN KIIRA TOWN COUNCIL.

NAME: WAGOLOZA HENRY
REG. NO. 13/U/1731/BTE/PE

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE IN PARTIAL

FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR DEGREE OF SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGY-BIOLOGY
OF KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY.
SUPERVISOR:

CHAPTER ONE
1.0

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND
Uganda currently has one of the fastest growing, most fertile, and youngest populations in the
world, with population of 3.6% per year, fertility rate of 6.8 children per woman, and a medium
age of 15 in 2007 according to the CIA world face book. Uganda had 120 people per square KM
in 2005. Putting it only 83rd on the list of countries by population density. As a result there exists
wide market for unpasteurized passion fruit juice as it provides readily available and affordable
source of nutrients to most urban people. Passion fruit juice as are preferred by consumers
because it can be obtained at relatively cheap prices and due to the fresh flavor attribute.
Preparation is done mainly manually by extracting the juice from passion fruits, the final product
is unfermented, coloured, untreated juice ready for human consumption.
Pathogenic microorganisms is can gain entry into the juice through damaged raw fruits when
they fall to the ground and come into contact with animal droppings, during harvesting and
transportation and harmful bacteria in water used for growing or processing the fruit into juice.
Unsafe water is a global public health threat, placing persons at the risk for host of diarrhea and
other diseases (Hughes and Kaplan, 2005). Unsanitary water has particularly devastating effects
on young children in the developing world.

Each year, more than 2 million persons , mostly children less than 5 years of age die of diarrhea
diseases (Kosek et al, 2003, Parashar et al, 2003) for children in this age group diarrhea diseases
accounts for 17% of the all death from 2000-2003 ( WHO, 2005) ranking third among causes of
death.
Nearly 90% of diarrhea-related deaths have been attributed to unsafe or inadequate water
supplies and sanitation( Younes and bartrram, WHO 2004).
An estimated 1.1 billion persons (one sixth of the worlds population) lack access to clean water
and 2.6 billion to adequate sanitation ( WHO, 2005, Hughes and Koplan, 2005).
Biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and helminthes constitutes the
major causes of food- borne diseases with varying degree of severity raging from mild
indisposition to chronic or life threatening illnesses or both

In developing countries , such as contaminants are responsible for food- borne diseases such as
cholera Escherichia coli gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, shigellosis, typhoid and amoebiasis.

Pathogens such as bacillus cereus, salmonella and Escherichia coli are naturally present in some
soil and their presence on fresh produce is not rare. Salmonella, Escherichia coli 0157:H7,
Stepylococcus aureus, vibrio chorelae are more likely to contaminate unpasteurized fruit juice
through other routes such as raw or improperly composted manure, irrigation water containing
untreated sewage, poor methods of processing and poor personal hygiene. Treatment of fruits
with chlorinated water and boiling of water used in processing the juice reduces population of
pathogenic and other microorganisms in fresh produce but cannot eliminate them. Reduction of
risk for human illness associated with consumption of unpasteurized fruit juice can be better
achieved through controlling points of potential contamination in the field, during harvesting,
processing and distribution in retail shops, food service facilities or the homes/( CDC,
1996,1999, FDA 2007). This study will evaluate the microbiological quality of unpasteurized
passion fruit juice sold in kira town council.

1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Uganda had a population of approximately 5 million in 1950 and 7 million at independence in
1962. In 45 years the population has grown to 30 million people.
The increasing population has resulted into a number of people to venture in the business of
processing and selling of unpasteurized passion fruit juice due to the readily available market
especially in the urban settings. This has adversely affected the quality of juice.
The epidemiology of food borne diseases has undoubtedly contributed to an increased frequency
of out break of infections linked with pathogenic microorganisms found in unpasteurized fruit
juices, changes in dietly habbits, methods of produce production and processing, sources of
produce and ability of harmful bacteria to survive in high acidic products such as juice have
enhanced fruit juice sold in kira town council.

1.3 GENERAL OBJECTIVES.

To assess the microbiological quality of unpasteurized passion fruit juice sold in kira town
council

1.4 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES.

To determine the total plate count in the juice.

To enumerate the E. coli content in the juice

To detect the presence of salmonella

To enumerate the total coliforms present in the passion fruit juice.

1.5 HYPOTHESIS
Unpasteurized passion fruit juice sold in kira town council does not contain pathogenic
microorganisms.

1.6 JUSTIFICATIONS.
The study to assess the microbiological quality of unpasteurized passion fruit juice in kira town
council will aid in creation of awareness about the status of passion fruit juice, risks associated
with unpasteurized fruit juices and measures to improve on the quality of juice beverages. This
research will also help in prevention of out break of diseases associated with food poisoning like
chorela and salmonellas.

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

HISTORY OF UNPASTEURIZED PASSION FRUIT JUICE.
While the origin of passion fruit is unknown, it is generally believed to be to be native to Brazil
where in the 16th century Spanish Catholics named it flor de las cinco llagas or flower of five
wounds after us distinctive purple flower.
Today, about 400 years later, passion fruit is grown nearly every where in the tropical belt but
known by different names, its common name is maracuya in Ecuador and Brazil, parcha in
Venesuela, lilikoi in Hawaii and chinola or paichita in Puertorico.
Passion fruit was introduced into Huwaii in 1880 and it quickly became popular in home
gardens, it naturalized in Hawaii almost perfect climate and by 1930 could be found wild on all
the islands of Hawaiian chain.
In 1951, the university of Hawaii chose passion fruit as the most promising crop for agriculture
development and undertook a program to create an industry for production of quick frozen
passion fruit juice concentrate. By 1958 the plantings had expanded to cover 490 hectares and
the industry was rather well established.
Long term success was not to be however, viruses damaging the vines, high labour costs and the
rapidly increasing value for land combined to wipe out the young industry. Today, there are no
more commercial passion fruit plantations left in Hawaii but the fruit unique flavor remains
deeply routed in the taste preferences of the Hawaiian people. Large quantities of passion fruit
juice and concerted are shipped to Hawaii every year. It is though as a matter of fact that Hawaii
may well have the highest per capita competition of passion fruit in the world.
Australia is another area of high passion fruits consumption, again due to the history and
familiarity, passion fruit flourished there before 1900 in what had been banana fields. It attained
great importance until 1943 when vines were devastated by a wide spread of viruses. Although
some plantations have been rebuilt, they cannot produce enough passion fruit juice to satisfy the
demand and imports make up the balance, it is in south America that most of the worlds passion
fruit is currently grown, starting in the mid 1950s passion fruit cultivation became widely spread
in Columbia and Venezuela, later it spread to Ecuador. Today, South America and particularly
Ecuador is the main exporter of passion fruit concentrate to the western world.
In Brazil however, fresh passion fruit is immensely popular. The demand is so strong that
although they grow much of their own fruit, they have to import some additional supplies,
primarily from Ecuador, in recent years, Brazil; the fruit is used in fresh beverages made both at
homes and in stalls or juice stand popular through out the country.
Because of its unique, intense aromatic flavor characteristics, passion fruit is a natural
ingredient for juice blends so well with other juice flavors.

In Germany, one the largest juice consuming countries in the world, passion fruit concentrate
and banana puree constitute the base of almost every multi vitamin juice produce.

2.2 MICROBIAL GROWTH IN FRUIT JUICE BEVERAGES

2.2.1 INTRODUCTION.
The high increase in food deterioration is due contamination with microorganisms since the
entire environment in which we live as colonized by microorganisms (nelson, 1981).
Though organisms can cause harm in some cases, they are of great importance and are noted in
the composition of composts, wine garri and antibiotics such as penicillin( Callaway and
Carpenter, 1981).
Although microorganisms are of great importance, they use human food stuffs as sources of
nutrients for their growth which results into deterioration of food and out break of diseases in
humans. The frequency of documented out break of human illness associated with consumption
of raw fruits and unpasteurized juice has increased in recent years.
The epidemiology of food borne diseases has undoubtedly contributed in an increased frequency
of outbreak of infections linked with unpasteurized fruit juices, changes in dietly habits, methods
of produce and processing have enhanced potential for out breaks associated with unpasteurized
fruit juices.
The ability of public health agencies to identify through enhanced epidemiological and severance
techniques, raw fruit juice and unpasteurized juice as probable sources of infectious
microorganisms has undoubtedly resulted in increased numbers of documented out breaks. The
methods employed in agronomic, harvesting, distribution, processing and consumption patterns
and practices have also likely contributed to this increase.

2.2.2 FACTORS FOR GROWTH OF MICROORGANISMS.

The nutrients obtained from fruit juice by microorganisms.
Microbial growth is controlled by intrinsic factors and the environment in which the juice is
processed ( extrinsic factors).
The intrinsic factors include pH, water availability, and oxidation reduction potential, availability
of nutrients and possible presence of natural antimicrobial agents. The extrinsic factors include
temperature, relative humidity, gases present and the type and number of microorganisms.

Because passion fruit juice are such excellent sources of nutrients, if the intrinsic and extrinsic
conditions are appropriate, microorganisms grow rapidly may even lead to visible changes
including color caused by spoilage organisms..

2.3 FOOD-BORNE AND WATER- BORNR INFECTIONS.

Food- born infection involves the ingestion of the pathogen, followed by growth in the host
including tissue invasion and release of toxins. Salmonellosis results from ingestion of a variety
of salmonella survivors, particularly typhimurium and enteritis.
Escherichia coli is also an important food pathogen. Enteropathogenic, enteroinuasive and
enterotoxigenic types can cause diarrhea. E.coli 0157:H7 with specific somatic (O) and flagella
(H) antigen is thought to have acquired enterohamorrhagic genes from shigella including the
gene for shigalike verocytotoxins. This produced a new pathogen stariin first discovered in 1982
and now known around the world. The pathogen is spread by fecal- oral routed and an infection
appears to be only 500 bacteria.
Enterohemorrhagagic E.coli has been found in meat products, and unpasteurized fruit drinks and
on fruits and vegetables and untreated well water.

2.4 FOOD BORNE AND WATER BORNE DISEASES.

Food borne and water borne illnesses impact the entire world. In the United states, the annual
incidences of food and water related diseases involves 76 millions can be attributed to known
pathogens (CDC, 2007).
Salmonellosis: This is caused by over 2000 salmonella serovars the most frequently reported
one in in humans is S.serovat typhimurum. This is a gram negative, motile non-spore forming
rod. The source of the bacterium is the intestinal tracts of birds and other animals. Humans
acquire the bacteria from contaminated food or water.
Once the bacteria are in the body, the incubation period is above 8 to 48 hrs. The bacteria
multiply rapidly and invade the intestinal mucosa where they produce an enterotoxin and
cytotoxin that destroy the epithelial cells ,resulting into abdominal pain, cramps diarrhea, nausea,
vomiting and fever.

Stapholococcal food poisoning: Its caused by ingestion of improperly stored or cooked food
and boiled water in which staphylococcus aureus has grown. S. aureus is a gram positive coccus,

very resistant to heat, drying and radiation it is found in nasal passage and on the skin of humans
and other animals.
If the bacteria are allowed to incubate in food or water, dangerous heat stable toxins are produced
which render food and water dangerous though it appears normal.
The toxins produced appear to act as neurotoxins that stimulate vomiting , abdominal pain,
cramps, diarrhea and nousea.
Typhoid fever: This is caused by several violent serouars of salmonellae typhi and is acquired by
ingestion of food or water contaminated by feces of infected humans or animals.
Once in the small intestines the incubation period is about 10-14 days. The bacteria colonizes the
small intestines, penetrate the epithelium and spread to the lymphoid tissue, blood, gallbladder
and liver, symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, anorexia, headache and malaise which last
for several weeks.