Microbiological criteria: Principles for their establishment and application in food quality and safety

Evaluation of Hygiene Indicators and Sampling Plan for Detecting Microbial Contamination in Health Functional Foods

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to monitor microbial contamination levels in a variety of health functional foods and to establish new microbial criteria. Indicator organisms (i.e., aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli) were monitored in 10 health functional food categories (743 items, 3,715 samples). The mean total aerobic counts of ginseng and Korean red ginseng were -0.35 and -0.74 log CFU/g; and the mean total coliform counts were -1.4 and -1.39 log CFU/g, respectively. In addition, the mean total coliform counts of fiber and protein products were -1.34 and -1.22 log CFU/g, respectively. However, no aerobic or coliform cells were detected in any other health functional food products (vitamins, minerals, probiotics, milk thistle extract, propolis, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, or lutein products), and no E. coli was detected in any of the categories. These results can potentially be used to update the microbial criteria of the Health Functional Food Code.

HIGHLIGHTS

Evaluation of the Hygienic Quality of the Gastronomic Offer of a Coastal Tourist Destination: A Study in San Pablo, Ecuador

In Ecuador, the San Pablo commune is one of the main tourist destinations in the Ecuadorian coastal region, recognized for its scenic landscapes and its gastronomy based on fish and seafood. The objective of this study is to evaluate the hygienic quality of the food offered in this location. Hence, five local restaurants were audited for compliance to good manufacturing practices (GMP), considering requirements for personnel, raw materials, facilities, equipment and utensils, quality assurance and storage conditions. Concurrently, four groups of ready-to-serve foods were sampled: rice, fish, natural juice, and raw salads to analyze total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. The results confirmed the absence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. However, values outside the norm for total coliforms were quantified in three food groups. There was an average compliance of 66.46 ± 16.67% regarding GMP with no significant difference in compliance between the six groups of requirements. These results indicate that work is needed to improve GMP, increase the hygienic quality of food and enhance the gastronomy offered in San Pablo.