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Research Article Volume 13 Issue 3
Molecular characterization of bacteria isolated from farmers market produce in Allegany County, Maryland
Munasinghe K, Richardson C, Runge K
Received: December 19, 2025 | Published: December 30, 2025
Citation: Munasinghe K, Richardson C, RungeK. Molecular characterization of bacteria isolated from farmers market produce in Allegany County, Maryland. J Nutr Health Food Eng.2025;13(3):37-40 DOI: 10.15406/jnhfe.2025.13.00380
Abstract
Eating fruits and vegetables protects us from free radicals produced by metabolic reactions and safeguards us from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, there has been an increased concern about foodborne diseases tied to contaminated farmers market produce. Produce sold at open-air farmers markets has become popular among consumers because it is perceived as fresher and healthier than retail produce. Increased urbanization in the Northern Hemisphere has shifted how people shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. These small farmers are not legally required to follow the same USDA and FDA guidelines as chain companies if they meet certain rules in farmers markets, but bacteria that live on produce can contribute to foodborne outbreaks. This research explored bacterial diversity on produce collected from Allegany County, Maryland, to educate farmers in terms of minimizing cross-contamination. Three replicates of lettuce, cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes were collected from three farmers markets in the area, and the bacteria were identified using molecular methods, including DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Illumina next-generation DNA sequencing. The alpha and beta diversities were observed using Qiime 2 with p <0.05. The Faith’s PD curve plot indicated sufficient sequencing depth to characterize microbial diversity. The most persistent genus in strawberries was Klebsiella, and the other genera isolated were Lettuce: Enterococcus, Acinetobacter, Lysinbaccillus, and Trabuisiella; Tomatoes: Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, and Cucumber: Klebsiella. These results may contribute to understanding the cross-contamination of organisms during the harvesting, transport, and sale of fresh produce at farmers markets, as well as informing farmer training.
Keywords: farmers market produce, DNA extractions, and Next-generation sequencing
©2025 Munasinghe, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.