Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is one of the oldest and most traditional oilseed crops, valued for its high-quality seed oil. This culture was introduced in Burkina Faso at the beginning of the 20th century where it occupies a place of cash crop. The majority of sesame produced in Burkina Faso is export oriented. However, the contamination by Salmonella remains an unsolved problem. This retrospective study was carried out in order to assess the microbiological safety of sesame samples received at the Laboratoire National de Santé Publique between 2007 and 2017. Out of 359 samples unevenly distributed according to months, 26.46% showed the presence of Salmonella species. The persistence of this food borne pathogen in sesame is a strong signal that new strategies of growing, harvesting and postharvest and special attention and emphasis on control measures must be given to the chain of production of this commodity in a view of its economic and medical impact.

Key words: Salmonella, Sesamum indicum, Burkina Faso.