Incidence of E.coli O157:H7 in fresh juices

There are reports of food borne illnesses associated with the consumption of fruit juices and a lot of food borne illnesses have been reported at several places all over the world. Pakistan is one of the culprits of this issue. Present study was undertaken for detection of the possible sources of E.coli O157:H7 in street vended fresh fruit juices sold along the road sides of Lahore city, Pakistan which maintain unhygienic conditions and assessed its safety for human consumption.162 fresh juice samples of sugar cane, plum, tamarind, peach, lemonade and slush that were taken from different areas of Lahore and analyzed for the presence of E.coli O157:H7. It is suggested that unpasteurized fruit juices and contaminated water used in juice making is the potential vehicle for E.coli O157:H7 transmission.