Mineral water: a microbiological approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 556-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fernanda Falcone-Dias ◽  
Guilherme L. Emerick ◽  
Adalberto Farache-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Water ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Quality Standard ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Bottled Mineral Water

The microbiological quality of bottled mineral water of various domestic brands sold in Brazil was investigated, with particular focus on the heterotrophic plate count (HPC). Neither total coliforms nor Escherichia coli were found in any 1.5 L bottle samples. Total coliforms were found in 2.9% of the small bottles, while in 20 L bottles the presence of total coliforms and E. coli was demonstrated in 15.5 and 2.4% of samples, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in 4.3, 4.5 and 9.5% of small, 1.5 and 20 L bottles, respectively. In 36.4% of the samples of 1.5 L bottles, the HPC was above 500 cfu/mL. This percentage of samples with an HPC above 500 cfu/mL increased to 52.0 and 61.9% in small and 20 L bottles, respectively. Higher contamination by total coliforms, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and HPCs occurred in 20 L bottles. In conclusion, several samples in this study were outside the international quality standard for mineral water and the large number of samples with high HPCs shows that more work must be done on the use of HPC in mineral water and the damaging effects that these microorganisms may cause to humans. The bottled mineral water was confirmed as a particularly important public health problem, due to the poor microbiological quality of the products that are marketed.

Commercialization Conditions and Practices Influence the Microbiological Quality of Mineral Waters

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1253-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
SÉRGIO A. P. NUNES FILHO ◽  
ANDERSON S. SANT'ANA ◽  
ADRIANO G. CRUZ
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Mineral Water ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Street Vendors ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
Bottled Mineral Water

The objective of the present study was to determine the microbiological quality of bottled mineral water marketed in commercial establishments and by street vendors and to evaluate the influence of the storage and maintenance conditions on the microbiological quality of the product. Ten samples from the same batches of five different brands of water were analyzed, for a total of 50 samples. Of the five brands analyzed, only one (brand A), when collected in a commercial establishment, complied with the legal Brazilian standards for mineral water with respect to the presence of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The remaining samples failed to comply with these microbiological standards for at least one of the parameters evaluated. The water samples obtained from street vendors were inferior in microbiological quality to samples from the same batch that were obtained from commercial establishments.

Impact of Raw Materials and Processing Techniques on The Microbiological Quality of Egyptian Domiati Cheese

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Raw Milk ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fresh Cheese ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Total Yeast

Domiati cheese is the most popular brand of cheese ripened in brine in the Middle East in terms of consumed quantities. This study was performed to investigate the impact of the microbiological quality of the used raw materials, the applied traditional processing techniques and ripening period on the quality and safety of the produced cheese. Three hundred random composite samples were collected from three factories at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Collected samples represent twenty-five each of: raw milk, table salt, calf rennet, microbial rennet, water, environmental air, whey, fresh cheese, ripened cheese & swabs from: worker hands; cheese molds and utensils; tanks. All samples were examined microbiologically for Standard Plate Count (SPC), coliforms count, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) count, total yeast & mould count, presence of E. coli, Salmonellae and Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). The mean value of SPC, coliforms, S. aureus and total yeast & mould counts ranged from (79×102 CFU/m3 for air to 13×108 CFU/g for fresh cheese), (7×102 MPN/ cm2 for tank swabs to 80×106 MPN/ml for raw milk), (9×102 CFU/g for salt to 69×106 CFU/g for fresh cheese) and (2×102 CFU/cm2 for hand swabs to 60×104 CFU/g for fresh cheese), respectively. Whereas, E. coli, Salmonella and L. monocytogenes failed to be detected in all examined samples. There were significant differences in all determined microbiological parameters (p ≤0.05) between fresh and ripened cheese which may be attributed to different adverse conditions such as water activity, pH, salt content and temperature carried out to improve the quality of the product.

scholarly journals Are the defined substrate-based methods adequate to determine the microbiological quality of natural recreational waters?

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Sofia Valente ◽  
Paulo Pedro ◽  
M. Carmen Alonso ◽  
Juan J. Borrego ◽  
Lídia Dionísio
Keyword(s):  
Standard Method ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Recreational Waters ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
Rapid Tests

Monitoring the microbiological quality of water used for recreational activities is very important to human public health. Although the sanitary quality of recreational marine waters could be evaluated by standard methods, they are time-consuming and need confirmation. For these reasons, faster and more sensitive methods, such as the defined substrate-based technology, have been developed. In the present work, we have compared the standard method of membrane filtration using Tergitol-TTC agar for total coliforms and Escherichia coli, and Slanetz and Bartley agar for enterococci, and the IDEXX defined substrate technology for these faecal pollution indicators to determine the microbiological quality of natural recreational waters. ISO 17994:2004 standard was used to compare these methods. The IDEXX for total coliforms and E. coli, Colilert®, showed higher values than those obtained by the standard method. Enterolert® test, for the enumeration of enterococci, showed lower values when compared with the standard method. It may be concluded that more studies to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the rapid tests are required in order to apply them for routine monitoring of marine and freshwater recreational bathing areas. The main advantages of these methods are that they are more specific, feasible and simpler than the standard methodology.

Microbial Quality, Safety, and Pathogen Detection by Using Quantitative PCR of Raw Salad Vegetables Sold in Dhanbad City, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUJEET K. MRITUNJAY ◽  
VIPIN KUMAR
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Salad Vegetables

ABSTRACT Consumption of ready-to-eat fresh vegetables has increased worldwide, with a consequent increase in outbreaks caused by foodborne pathogens. In the Indian subcontinent, raw fresh vegetables are usually consumed without washing or other decontamination procedures, thereby leading to new food safety threats. In this study, the microbiological quality and pathogenic profile of raw salad vegetables was evaluated through standard protocols. In total, 480 samples (60 each of eight different salad vegetables) of cucumber, tomato, carrot, coriander, cabbage, beetroot, radish, and spinach were collected from different locations in Dhanbad, a city famous for its coal fields and often called the “Coal Capital of India.” The samples were analyzed for total plate count, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. Incidences of pathogens were detected through quantitative PCR subsequent to isolation. Results showed that 46.7% (for total plate counts) and 30% (for total coliforms) of samples were unacceptable for consumption per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Pathogenic microorganisms were detected in 3.7% of total samples. E. coli O157:H7 was detected in three samples of spinach (2) and beetroot (1); L. monocytogenes was detected in 14 samples of spinach (8), tomato (3), cucumber (2), and radish (1); and Salmonella spp. were detected in 16 samples of spinach (7), tomato (3), beetroot (2), cucumber (2), carrot (1), and radish (1). Pathogens were not detected in any of the cabbage and coriander samples.

scholarly journals Microbiological quality of shellfish and evaluation of compact dry EC for detecting total coliforms and Escherichia coli

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vásquez García ◽  
S.H. Gomes de Sá ◽  
G. de Sousa Silva ◽  
J.E. Mejia Ballesteros ◽  
E. Barbieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Conventional Method ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Mean

The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of oysters and mussels grown in Cananéia, Brazil, by analysing mesophiles, psychrothophic bacteria, moulds and yeasts, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp., and to compare the efficiency of Compact Dry EC method and the conventional method for counting of total coliforms and Escherichia coli. The microbial analysis showed that the mean values of mesophilic counts were 3.14±0.81 log CFU g−1 for oysters and 3.92±0.90 for mussels; the mean values of psychrophilic counts were 2.78±0.75 log CFU g−1 for oysters and 3.22±0.75 log CFU g−1 for mussels; the mean values of mould and yeast counts were 3.70±0.58 log CFU g−1 for oysters and 3.33±0.81 log CFU g−1 for mussels. Salmonella spp. did not present positive results, and the maximal count of Staphylococcus aureus was 1.7 log CFU g−1, therefore, within the limits established in the legislation. The correlation coefficients between the Compact Dry EC method and conventional method were >0.87 for total coliform and E. coli counts for both types of shellfish. The data in this study show that the Compact Dry EC method is an acceptable alternative to conventional methods for enumeration of total coliforms and E. coli in shellfish.

A National Survey of the Microbiological Quality of Beef Carcasses and Frozen Boneless Beef in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
DAVID JORDAN ◽  
STEPHEN MORRIS ◽  
IAN JENSON ◽  
JOHN SUMNER
Keyword(s):  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Third ◽  
Beef Carcasses ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Aerobic Plate Count ◽  
Coagulase Positive Staphylococci ◽  
Campylobacter Spp

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.

Microbial quality of frozen squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Lesson 1830) treated with food grade commercial chemicals

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
D. Sukumar ◽  
M. Muruganantham
Keyword(s):  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Microbial Quality ◽  
Food Grade ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Total Plate Count ◽  
Sepioteuthis Lessoniana ◽  
Better Than

Squids perish rapidly like other fishes and require some treatment to maintain the quality for export. The microbial quality of frozen squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Lesson 1830) treated with the commercial food grade chemicals imported from Spain was therefore studied. Dressed squids were treated with the chemicals Hidratech_4A (0.4%) and Whitech_3 (0.25%) dissolved in chilled freshwater (STCF) and chilled saltwater (STCS). Chilled squids not treated served as control (SNTC). Squids were quick frozen at -40°C in contact plate freezer and stored at-20±1°C. Samples were tested raw, after pre-processing, treatments and freezing and during storage at monthly intervals for 7 months. The microbial quality evaluation included Total Plate Count (TPC), Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella. Study revealed a better quality of treated samples than control. Microbiological quality of STCS was better than STCF and SNTC. E. coli counts decreased after treatment. Salmonella and V. cholerae were absent.

Assessment of microbiological quality of drinking water from household tanks in Bermuda

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lévesque ◽  
D. Pereg ◽  
E. Watkinson ◽  
J.S. Maguire ◽  
L. Bissonnette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
General Information ◽  
Total Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Electoral Register ◽  
Highly Correlated

Bermuda residents collect rainwater from rooftops to fulfil their freshwater needs. The objective of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of drinking water in household tanks throughout Bermuda. The tanks surveyed were selected randomly from the electoral register. Governmental officers visited the selected household (n = 102) to collect water samples and administer a short questionnaire about the tank characteristics, the residents’ habits in terms of water use, and general information on the water collecting system and its maintenance. At the same time, water samples were collected for analysis and total coliforms and Escherichia coli were determined by 2 methods (membrane filtration and culture on chromogenic media, Colilert kit). Results from the 2 methods were highly correlated and showed that approximately 90% of the samples analysed were contaminated with total coliforms in concentrations exceeding 10 CFU/100 mL, and approximately 66% of samples showed contamination with E. coli. Tank cleaning in the year prior to sampling seems to protect against water contamination. If rainwater collection from roofs is the most efficient mean for providing freshwater to Bermudians, it must not be considered a source of high quality drinking water because of the high levels of microbial contamination.

Microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods in hospital and university canteens in Hanoi, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hue Thi Luu ◽  
Chris M. Michiels
Keyword(s):  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Baseline Measurement ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Microbiological Safety ◽  
Total Plate Count ◽  
And Staphylococcus Aureus

The aim of this study is to analyze and document the microbiological safety and quality of ready-to-eat foods in hospital and university canteens in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of 420 ready-to-eat food products from 21 canteens were sampled in July 2018 and May 2019. The ratio of samples exceeding the unsatisfactory level for Total Plate Count (TPC) was 31%. Escherichia coli, Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in 35 (8.3%), 99 (24%), 46 (11%) samples, with 3%, 10% and 0% exceeding the unsatisfactory level, respectively. The Total Plate Count (TPC), Listeria, Bacillus cereus, E. coli, S. aureus ranged from below detection limit to 5x10 9 , 4.6x10 5 , 6.2x10 3 , 3.4x10 3 , 7.6x10 3 CFU/g, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from 3/420 samples (0.7%). In addition, there were 21 out of 410 samples (5%) contaminated with Salmonella. Overall, our data indicate frequent problems with the microbiological quality and safety of these canteen foods in Hanoi, and provide a baseline measurement that will allow environmental health officers and food microbiologists to develop targeted intervention strategies to reduce the economical and public health risk associated with these foods.

The Microbiological Quality of Ice Used to Cool Drinks and Ready-to-Eat Food from Retail and Catering Premises in the United Kingdom

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
GORDON NICHOLS ◽  
IAIN GILLESPIE ◽  
JOHN de LOUVOIS
Keyword(s):  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Melt Water ◽  
Aerobic Plate Count ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Evidence

A survey of 4,346 samples of ice from retail and catering premises examined 3,528 samples (81%) used to cool drinks and 144 samples (3%) from food displays. For 674 samples (15%), the origin was not recorded. Most samples of ice used to cool drinks or ready-to-eat food on displays did not contain coliforms, Escherichia coli, or enterococci. Of the ice used to cool drinks, 9% contained coliforms, 1% E. coli, and 1% enterococci in excess of 102 CFU/100 ml, and 11% had an aerobic plate count at 37°C in excess of 103 CFU/ml. The microbiological quality of ice used to cool drinks was poorer when melt water was present in the ice buckets. Ice used in food displays was more contaminated than ice used to cool drinks, with 23% containing coliforms, 5% E. coli, and 8% enterococci at 102 CFU/100 ml or more. Twenty-nine percent of samples had an aerobic plate count greater than 103 CFU/ml. Ice that had been used to cool shellfish was of a lower microbiological quality than samples used to cool ready-to-eat fish, salads, or dairy produce. Samples of ice produced in commercial production facilities were of higher microbiological quality than samples of ice that were not. The microbiological quality of ice was dependent on the type of use, the type of premises, and the type and place of production. Although most ice samples were of acceptable microbiological quality, evidence from this study suggests that the microbiological quality of ice prepared and used at certain premises in the UK is a cause for concern.

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