Microbial contamination and adulteration of selected beverages of Malappuram District, Kerala.
Kowsalya S., Shyny P. A.
Author Affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam Deemed University, Coimbatore - 641 043, India.
Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 42 : 492-502
Abstract : The microbiological quality and degree of adulteration of some of the beverages available in restaurants and stores (petty shop and cool bars) in Kerala, India were assessed, including the hygienic practices of the food handlers that prepare these beverages. The beverages comprised fresh fruit juices (lime, mango, grape, pineapple, orange and water melon), commercial canned fruit juices and other products (sugarcane juice, nannari, sherbet and sapota shake). The plate count technique revealed the presence of bacteria in all samples, except the commercial canned fruit juices. The levels were high, ranging from 10 per ml (grape juice) to 269 per ml (sapota shake); the bacteria detected were coliforms (Klebsiella and Escherichia coli). Coliform count ranged from 2 (in 100 ml grape and orange juice) to 180 (in 100 ml sapota shake). Acceptable levels of coliform were observed for sherbet, lime juice, grape juice and orange juice; unacceptable levels were observed for sugarcane juice, nannari, mango shake, pineapple juice, sapota shake (milk-based beverage) and water melon juice. Aspergillus niger was detected in lime and orange juice, whereas Mucor was detected in mango shake, pineapple juice, water melon juice and in one of the canned fruit juices. The paper chromatography results indicated the presence of the following adulterants at permissible levels in sherbet, viz. artificial sweetener (saccharine) and food colourants (tartrazine, sunset yellow and cormoisine). Nannari and lime juice both had saccharine, and one of the canned juices had sunset yellow. The fresh fruit juices did not contain the two adulterants. The restaurants (74%) and cool bars (94%) showed satisfactory hygiene in their surroundings; the petty bars on the other hand showed unsatisfactory cleanliness, with only 28% showing clean and swept surroundings. Moreover, there were more food handlers from the restaurants and cool bars that practiced proper hygiene than from petty shops. An analysis of the HACCP programme for the production of sugarcane juice is also presented.