The quality and safety of several commercial fruit juices (n=360) sold in Egypt were assessed in this study by analyzing quantitative microbiological and physicochemical parameters, and incidence of spore-forming bacteria. Three commercial brands e.g. apple (A4 & A5) and cocktail (C4) samples contained Coliforms and presumptive E. coli; mean 1.30 to 1.85 log10 CFU/ml. Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in any of the samples tested. Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, Bacillus coagulans, B. licheniformis and B. mycoides species were the predominant organisms isolated from A4, guava (G4), mango (M3) and C4 juice samples. The A4, G4, M3 and C4 samples contained of 2.36 - 3.23 log10 CFU/ml from total bacterial counts and yeast/mold counts. The TSS and total sugars were within expected ranges. However, the titratable acidity, pH, and color were varied. Thus, this study emphasizes the need for the rapid and accurate detection of spore-forming bacteria in juice products, and provides information on the quality attributes of some brands of fruit.
Key words: Alicyclobacillus; Bacillus; Food safety; Fruit juices; Physicochemical analysis.
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