Survival of Campylobacter jejuni on Sliced Watermelon and Papaya

The ability of Campylobacter jejuni to survive on watermelon and papaya was investigated. Fruit cubes were obtained aseptically and inoculated on the surface with washed suspensions of C. jejuni . In some trials lemon juice was added to the surface of inoculated cubes. The test organism survived on inoculated fruits stored at room temperature (25-29°C) for at least up to 6 h. Percent survivors at 6 h of storage ranged from 7.7 to 61.8% in fruits without lemon juice added and from 0 to 14.3% in fruits with lemon juice added. Application of lemon juice to the surface of inoculated fruit cubes reduced significantly the counts of C. jejuni during storage of the fruits (P < 0.01). Lemon juice appeared more destructive to C. jejuni on papaya than on watermelon. However, a few surviving C. jejuni were still detected after 4 and 6 h of storage, respectively. Results indicate that C. jejuni can survive on sliced watermelon and papaya for a time long enough to be a risk for the consumer, and that adding lemon juice to the sliced fruit appears not to be completely efficient to eliminate the risk of infection through consumption of contaminated fruit.