2020 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 115-120
Agriculture is the main industry in Cambodia and home-made agricultural products for local Khmer people are commonly sold at wet markets. However, food poisoning and food-related diseases frequently occur due to these home-made products. The improper handling of food by vendors, inadequate storing conditions, and cross-contamination risk while on display, were observed when inspecting wet markets. Sanitary conditions in the wet markets were poor and the food handlers seemed to treat food based on their personal experience. In this study, we aimed to investigate the hygiene level of food products sold in wet markets in Cambodia. In Kampong Cham, a typical small town, processed foods are consumed in the local area and are also transported to large cities, like Phnom Penh. Pickled vegetables, which are a popular ready-to-eat food in Cambodia, were selected and assessed for microbial contamination. A total of 17 pickles were collected from the local market in Kampong Cham and we measured the Brix value, salt concentration, and pH in these samples. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration was also measured, because the amount of ATP in a food sample indicates the approximate microbial contamination level. The five samples with the highest ATP values were used for a quantitative evaluation of microorganism contamination. In addition, five other samples with relatively low ATP concentrations were tested for comparison. An assessment of colony number and morphology indicated that nine of the samples showed initial putrefaction or putrefaction. There was one coliform-positive sample. Similarly, three pickles purchased in Phnom Penh showed putrefaction and two samples from these three pickles were coliform-positive. These results indicated that food sanitary conditions are unsafe and there is a critical need for improving food safety at wet markets in Cambodia.
