Microbiological Criteria of Random Samples of Spices and Herbs Retailed on the Austrian Market

1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 893-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
WOLFGANG KNEIFEL ◽  
ERIKA BERGER

A total of 160 samples of 55 different spices and herbs originating from six different suppliers and retailed at outlets in Vienna were screened for their microbiological quality, based on plate count and selective identification techniques. Although maximum values of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria of >107/g could be observed with some spices such as black pepper, chillies and China spice, more than 50% of the sample material contained between 104 and 106 CFU/g. Bacilli were found in nearly all samples, showing counts >105 CFU/g in almost 40% of the products. Enterobacteria, pseudomonades and aeromonades as well as lactobacilli and enterococci were present mainly at levels of <102 CFU/g. Anaerobic sporeformers could be detected only in three products. One black pepper sample contained Salmonella arizonae. Although several samples gave colonies indicating the presence of coagulase-positive staphylococci, representative isolates were not identified as Staphylococcus aureus. Some samples, especially ginger and curry, had Bacillus cereus counts as high as 105 CFU/g, many others contained relatively low numbers of this species. On the contrary, Clostridium perfringens was detected in one caraway sample.

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1232-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
DAVID JORDAN ◽  
STEPHEN MORRIS ◽  
IAN JENSON ◽  
JOHN SUMNER

A national survey of the microbiology of meat (ground beef and diced lamb) at the retail level in Australia was undertaken. For ground beef samples (n = 360), the mean aerobic plate count (APC) was 5.79 log CFU/g, and Escherichia coli was detected in 17.8% of samples; the mean population for these positive samples was 1.49 log CFU/g. Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 96.9% of samples (mean for positive samples, 3.01 log CFU/g), and coagulase-positive staphylococci were detected in 28.1% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.18 log CFU/g). For diced lamb samples (n = 360), the mean APC was 5.71 log CFU/g, and E. coli was detected in 16.7% of samples (mean for positive samples, 1.67 log CFU/g). Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 91.1% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.85 log CFU/g), and coagulase-positive staphylococci were detected in 22.5% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.34 log CFU/g). Salmonella was recovered from 4 (1.1%) of the 360 ground beef samples (isolates were Salmonella Typhimurium phage types), and E. coli O157 was recovered from 1 (0.3%) of 357 samples; Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens were not recovered from any of the 91 and 94 samples tested, respectively. Salmonella was recovered from 2 (0.6%) of the 360 diced lamb samples (serovars were Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Typhimurium), Campylobacter was recovered from 1 (1.1%) of 95 samples, and C. perfringens was recovered from 1 (1.1%) of 92 samples.


2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. MOREIRA ◽  
T. B. LOURENÇÃO ◽  
J. P. A. N. PINTO ◽  
V. L. M. RALL

The aim of this work was to assess the microbiological quality of spices sold in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 233 samples were analyzed for mesophilic bacteria, thermotolerant coliforms, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella. Data showed that 21 and 5.6% of these samples were not in agreement with the standards of Brazilian law, due to an excess of coliforms and to the presence of Salmonella, respectively. Black pepper and cumin exhibited the lowest microbiological quality, whereas bay leaf showed the highest quality. It was concluded that the seasonings possessed poor microbiological quality, and new alternatives should be taken in the primary production in order to improve this quality. Irradiation may also be a tool to assure the safety of these products.


2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
DAVID JORDAN ◽  
STEPHEN MORRIS ◽  
IAN JENSON ◽  
JOHN SUMNER

The third national baseline microbiological survey of Australian beef carcasses and frozen boneless beef was conducted in 2004. Carcasses (n = 1,155) sampled at 27 slaughter establishments had a mean aerobic plate count (at 25°C) of 1.3 log CFU/cm2. Escherichia coli was isolated from 8.0% of the carcasses, with a mean count of −0.8 log CFU/cm2 for positive samples. On samples from 24 boning (fabrication) plants (n = 1,082), the mean aerobic plate count for frozen boneless beef was 1.3 log CFU/g, and the mean count for the 1.8% of samples with detectable E. coli was 1.5 log CFU/g. E. coli O157: H7 was isolated from 1 of 1,143 carcasses and from 0 of 1,082 boneless samples. Salmonella was isolated from 0 of 1,155 carcasses and from 1 of 1,082 samples of boneless product. No Campylobacter spp. were isolated from carcasses or boneless beef. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 28.7% of beef carcasses and 20.3% of boneless beef samples, and positive samples had a mean count of 0.3 log CFU/cm2 and 0.8 log CFU/g, respectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (8) ◽  
pp. 1545-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McLAUCHLIN ◽  
F. JØRGENSEN ◽  
H. AIRD ◽  
A. CHARLETT ◽  
N. ELVISS ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe purpose of this study was to investigate the microbiological quality of liver pâté. During 2012–13, a total of 870 samples, unrelated to the investigation of food-poisoning outbreaks, were collected either at retail (46%), catering (53%) or the point of manufacture (1%) and were tested using standard methods to detect Salmonella spp. or Campylobacter spp., and to enumerate for Listeria spp., including Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, coagulase-positive staphylococci including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., including Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, and aerobic colony counts (ACCs). Seventy-three percent of samples were of satisfactory microbiological quality, 18% were borderline and 9% unsatisfactory. Salmonella spp. or Campylobacter spp. was not recovered from any sample. The most common causes of unsatisfactory results were elevated ACCs (6% of the samples) and high Enterobacteriaceae counts (4% of samples). The remaining unsatisfactory results were due to elevated counts of: E. coli (three samples); B. cereus (one sample at 2·6 × 105 cfu/g); or L. monocytogenes (one sample at 2·9 × 103 cfu/g). Pâté from retail was less likely to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes than samples collected from catering and samples from supermarkets were of significantly better microbiological quality than those from catering establishments.


1981 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 821-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. P. TIWARI ◽  
V. W. KADIS

A total of 124 delicatessen meat products were analysed for microbiological quality shortly after purchase and following storage at 22 C for 24 h. Sixty-seven of these products were portion packages and 57 were cuts from bulk products. Coliforms, coagulase-positive staphylococci and Clostridium perfringens contamination was low. Salmonella was not detected in any of the samples. Initially, 34.3% of the portion-packed and 24.5% of bulk cuts contained more than 107 total aerobic plate count per g and, following storage this proportion increased to 62.7% and 57.9%, respectively. Eight samples (11.9%) of portion-packed and seven samples (12.3%) of bulk cuts contained more than 107 psychrotrophs per g initially. After storage, 35% of both types of products yielded >107 psychrotrophs per g. Significant levels of fecal streptococci and yeasts were also isolated from many of these products, indicating need for improvement in manufacturing procedures and retail storage conditions. However, the results of this investigation indicated that chances of a public health hazard from delicatessen meat products would be low.


2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1449-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Jankovic ◽  
Vesna Djordjevic ◽  
Brankica Lakicevic ◽  
Branka Borovic ◽  
B. Velebit ◽  
...  

Staphylococcal food poisoning is one of the most common foodborne diseases resulting from the ingestion of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) preformed in foods by enterotoxigenic strains of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS), mainly Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of enterotoxigenic strains of coagulase-positive staphylococci in raw milk during the production process leads to the contamination of products and outbreaks of alimentary intoxication. The problem of Staphylococcus aureus in cheese remains significant on a global level. Domestic cheese contaminated with enterotoxigenic staphylococci can result in the formation of enterotoxin, which can produce foodborne illness when the product is ingested. Due to microbiological contamination, microbiological criteria are tools that can be used in assessing the safety and quality of foods. In order to avoid foodborne illness, the Serbian Regulation on General and Special Conditions for Food Hygiene (Official Gazette of RS, No. 72/10) provides microbiological criteria for staphylococcal enterotoxins in dairy products.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 200-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tesfaye L. Bedada ◽  
Firehiwot A. Dera ◽  
Redwan M. Edicho ◽  
Samson G. Gebre ◽  
Yosef B. Asefa ◽  
...  

Background: Safe water supply is vital and can result in significant benefits to health. However, contaminated bottled water poses a great health risk due to the poor microbiological quality of water. Methods and Materials: A retrospective study was conducted on 222 Bottled water samples collected from various regions of Ethiopia from January 2008 to December 2015, tested and recorded in Ethiopian Public Health Institute to determine heterotrophic plate count and Staphylococcus aureus by pour plate method; for coliforms using multiple tubes fermentation techniques; for mould and yeast count using spread method, and for Salmonellae and Shigella spp. using ES ISO 6579 and ES ISO 21567. The data was analyzed using SPSS 20 statistical package. Results: Among the total samples examined from 44 brands, detections of heterotrophic plate count, mould, yeast, total and thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were observed in 114 (51.4%), 33 (14.9%), 5 (2.3%), 2 (0.9%), 1 (0.5%), 1 (0.5%) and 1 (0.5%) samples respectively, but there were no detections of Salmonellae nor Shigellae species. Conclusion: About 40% of bottled water samples were mycologically and bacteriologically unsafe for human consumption. To prevent public health hazards, regular monitoring of bottled water using quality indicators should be a priority agenda.


2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 1961-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROSA CAPITA ◽  
CARLOS ALONSO-CALLEJA ◽  
MARÍA del CAMINO GARCÍA-FERNÁNDEZ ◽  
BENITO MORENO

A total of 40 eviscerated and refrigerated chicken carcasses were collected from five retail outlets (three supermarkets and two poulterers' shops) in León (Spain). The level of microorganisms on chicken carcasses was assessed using the excised breast-skin technique. Mean counts (log10 CFU/g) of psychrotrophs, pseudomonads, fluorescent pseudomonads, enterococci, Micrococcaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeasts and molds were 4.84, 4.11, 3.32, 2.72, 3.80, 3.67, and 2.99, respectively. A significant correlation coefficient was found between pseudomonads and fluorescent pseudomonad counts (r = 0.827; P < 0.001) and between Micrococcaceae and S. aureus counts (r = 0.915; P < 0.001). Levels of psychrotrophs, pseudomonads, fluorescent pseudomonads, and yeasts and molds were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in supermarkets than in poulterers' shops, possibly due to the longer period of time the carcasses spent in the supermarkets (between 1 and 2 days, as opposed to only 4 to 16 h in the case of poulterers' shops). Carcasses from poulterers' shops showed higher (P < 0.05) counts of enterococci, Micrococcaceae, and S. aureus, which suggests higher storage temperatures in these outlets. Only S. aureus counts (especially those from poulterers' shops) exceeded the established values in the microbiological criteria for poultry meat consulted.


1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazle Alam Rabbi ◽  
Fazle Rabbi ◽  
TA Runun ◽  
Khadiza Zaman ◽  
M Majibur Rahman ◽  
...  

Various types of cooked food samples were collected from six different hospitals within the city of Dhaka and they were analyzed for the presence (if any) of total aerobic count (TAC), total coliform count (TCC) and total staphylococcal count (TSA) in order to determine the levels of contamination and to relate these findings to the hygiene practice of the food handlers. According to Gulf standard for microbiological criteria for foodstuff, all of the food samples exceeded the acceptable total aerobic count limit of 5 x 105 cfu/g while 4 out of 6 samples exceeded coliform count limit of 1x102 cfu/g. The total coliform counts were found to be the highest in the fish (1.6 x 107 cfu/g) and egg (2.2 x 106 cfu/g) curry samples of hospital 1 and hospital 4, respectively and were the lowest in the fish curry (2 x 103 cfu/g) of hospital 4. Staphylococcus aureus was found in all of the food samples with the highest occurrence (too numerous to count) in Dal and Rice samples from hospitals 3 and 6, respectively. On Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) agar, no black centered colony but many colorless colonies were found which primarily indicated the absence of Salmonella spp. in those samples. In order to identify pathogenic microorganisms from food samples, a series of conventional biochemical tests were performed with 23 randomly selected isolates from MacConkey, XLD, MSA agar plates. The isolates were presumptively identified as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. etc. The antibiotic susceptibility test was performed with eleven selected isolates using six commonly prescribed antibiotics (ampicillin, tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, gentamicin and azithromycin). The results showed that six isolates were resistant to vancomycin, two isolates were multidrug resistant and one isolate was intermediately resistant to azithromycin. All the isolates were found to be sensitive to ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin. Based on the data, it can be suggested that adequate hygiene practices are required after cooking the foods and before serving them as they reconsider.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/sjm.v1i1.9100  Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.1(1), July 2011, p.31-36  


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seraphine Nkie Esemu ◽  
Sally Tabe Njoh ◽  
Lucy M. Ndip ◽  
Nene Kaah Keneh ◽  
Jerome Achah Kfusi ◽  
...  

Background The consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods contaminated with coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and especially Staphylococcus aureus puts consumers at potential risk of foodborne disease or colonization and subsequent infection. This cross-sectional study determined the levels of CoPS and the presence of S. aureus in RTE foods sold in Buea municipality. Method A total of 420 RTE food samples comprising 70 each of cake, bread, fruit salad, meat-hot-pot, suya and boiled rice were randomly purchased from February to August 2020. The CoPS counts were determined by culturing on Baird-Parker agar and S. aureus identified by amplification of the nuc gene using polymerase chain reaction. All S. aureus isolates were screened for the presence of classical staphylococcal enterotoxin genes and each isolate challenged with 11 antibiotics to determine their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Oxacillin-resistant S. aureus were analyzed for the presence of mecA gene. Result Overall, 161 (38.3%) samples had detectable levels of coagulase-positive staphylococci ranging from 2.0-5.81 log10CFU/g. Based on CoPS levels, 37 (8.81%) of the 420 RTE food samples, only fruit salad and meat-hot-pot, had unsatisfactory microbiological quality. A total of 72 S. aureus isolates, comprising 52.78% from fruit salad, 16.67% from meat-hot-pot, 12.5% from boiled rice, 9.72% from suya, 5.56% from bread and 4.17% from cake were recovered. None of the S. aureus isolates possessed any of the classical enterotoxin genes. All the isolates were sensitive to vancomycin and ofloxacin while 68 (94.44%) and 66 (91.67%) were sensitive to oxacillin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Resistance to penicillin (93.06%) was highest followed by amoxicillin (91.67%) and erythromycin (79.17%). Four isolates were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus all of which carried the mecA gene. A total of 24 antibiotypes were identified. Conclusion Our findings showed that RTE foods sold in the Buea municipality are likely vehicles for transmission of CoPS and antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.


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