Publicação
Microbial quality of edible seeds commercially available in southern Portugal
| Resumo: | In the present work, the microbiological quality of sesame, flaxseed, chia, pumpkin sunflower seeds, a mix of seeds, as well as flaxseed flour, marketed in southern Portugal, were studied through the counting of aerobic microorganisms at 30 degrees C (AM), molds and yeast (M&Y), Escherichia coli (beta-glucuronidase positive) (beta-GP E. coli), Staphylococcus coagulase positive, and detection of Salmonella spp. The persistence of AM and M&Y populations were also counted in organic and non-organic flaxseed at 20 degrees C for 11 months. The seeds with the highest average of AM were flaxseed (1,3 x 10(6) CFU/g) followed by flaxseed flour (1,1 x 10(6) CFU/g) while the lowest level was found in chia (2,9 x 10(4) CFU/g). This seed also presented the lowest average values of filamentous fungi (9,8 x 10(2) CFU/g), whereas sunflower seeds had the highest levels (1,7 x 10(5) CFU/g). Flaxseed flour had the highest yeast counts (1,5 x 10(4) CFU/g). Although some samples had high levels of AM and fungi, beta-GP E. coli and Salmonella were not detected, therefore, they complied with the microbiological criteria of the European Union. The organic flaxseed contained higher numbers of AM and M&Y than the non-organic ones (p < 0.05). In addition, the storage of flaxseed at 20 degrees C resulted in changes of AM and M&Y, showing that these populations were able to remain viable after eleven months (AM Log 5.4-Log 5.6; M&Y Log 2.8 - Log 4.1). The results obtained in the present study, namely those high levels of AM and fungi (>10(6) and 10(4) CFU/g respectively), alert to the need of improving processing practices, storage/distribution conditions of edible seeds and derivatives, as well as the requirement of implementing adequate decontamination techniques. |
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| Autores principais: | Silva, Daniela |
| Outros Autores: | Nunes, Patrícia A.; Melo, Jessie; Quintas, Célia |
| Assunto: | Microbial quality Edible seeds Sesame Flaxseed Chia Pumpkin Sunflower |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso restrito |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Algarve |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve |
| Resumo: | In the present work, the microbiological quality of sesame, flaxseed, chia, pumpkin sunflower seeds, a mix of seeds, as well as flaxseed flour, marketed in southern Portugal, were studied through the counting of aerobic microorganisms at 30 degrees C (AM), molds and yeast (M&Y), Escherichia coli (beta-glucuronidase positive) (beta-GP E. coli), Staphylococcus coagulase positive, and detection of Salmonella spp. The persistence of AM and M&Y populations were also counted in organic and non-organic flaxseed at 20 degrees C for 11 months. The seeds with the highest average of AM were flaxseed (1,3 x 10(6) CFU/g) followed by flaxseed flour (1,1 x 10(6) CFU/g) while the lowest level was found in chia (2,9 x 10(4) CFU/g). This seed also presented the lowest average values of filamentous fungi (9,8 x 10(2) CFU/g), whereas sunflower seeds had the highest levels (1,7 x 10(5) CFU/g). Flaxseed flour had the highest yeast counts (1,5 x 10(4) CFU/g). Although some samples had high levels of AM and fungi, beta-GP E. coli and Salmonella were not detected, therefore, they complied with the microbiological criteria of the European Union. The organic flaxseed contained higher numbers of AM and M&Y than the non-organic ones (p < 0.05). In addition, the storage of flaxseed at 20 degrees C resulted in changes of AM and M&Y, showing that these populations were able to remain viable after eleven months (AM Log 5.4-Log 5.6; M&Y Log 2.8 - Log 4.1). The results obtained in the present study, namely those high levels of AM and fungi (>10(6) and 10(4) CFU/g respectively), alert to the need of improving processing practices, storage/distribution conditions of edible seeds and derivatives, as well as the requirement of implementing adequate decontamination techniques. |
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