Current microbiological status of `health foods' sold in Canada

Warburton, Donald W.; Harrison, Brian; Crawford, Cynda; Foster, Roger; Fox, Cathy; Gour, L.; Purvis, U.

doi:10.1016/s0168-1605(98)00073-7

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…All other detected coliform bacteria are also, if only rarely, reported to be involved in severe diseases (Farmer et al 1981;Harrell et al 1989;Davis and Wall 2006;Pound et al 2007;Lee et al 2009;Palaniswamy et al 2009). However, we want to reiterate that most of the detected coliforms are normally harmless for healthy people -vulnerable groups are especially the young, the elderly, immunocompromised persons, and pregnant women (Warburton et al 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of the bacterial flora of vegetables collected directly from farms and from supermarkets in Germany

Schwaiger

Helmke

Hölzel

et al. 2011

International Journal of Environmental Health Research

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A total of 1,001 vegetables were collected from 13 farms and 11 supermarkets in Bavaria, Germany; 722 samples were positive for coliforms (mostly Enterobacter cloacae; n = 176). Escherichia coli were detected in 34, Pseudomonas spp. in 439, Salmonella spp. in 1, Enterococcus spp. in 682, and Listeria spp. in 11 samples. Prevalence of all investigated genera tended to be lower in samples collected at the supermarket. However, prevalence of Pseudomonas fluorescens was higher in supermarket samples. Cereals/bulbous vegetables were less contaminated than root vegetables/salads. Fruit vegetables seem to be often subsequently contaminated in the retail market. Compared to foods of animal origin, prevalence of pathogenic bacteria is low. Particularly, in 1,001 investigated vegetables, only four L. monocytogenes and one Salmonella enterica have been found. Almost all of the detected microorganisms are reported to be opportunistic pathogens, if only in rare cases. Therefore, fresh produce should be washed or peeled before it is eaten raw.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of the bacterial flora of vegetables collected directly from farms and from supermarkets in Germany

Schwaiger

Helmke

Hölzel

et al. 2011

International Journal of Environmental Health Research

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“…from commercial Arthrospira products that were negative for faecal coliform tests were isolated ( Hoekstra et al, 2011 ). Moreover, the presence of pathogens in Arthospira products raises the questions whether some of the sporadic cases of health effects in humans which have been reported after the consumption of food supplements (e.g., Iwasa et al, 2002 ; Mazokopakis et al, 2008 ) are due to the Arthropsira itself or its contained bacteria ( Hoekstra et al, 2011 ; Warburton et al, 1998 ). However, whether these microorganisms are viable, and thus potentially pathogenic, requires further investigation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular diversity of bacteria in commercially available “Spirulina” food supplements

Vardaka

Kormas

Katsiapi

et al. 2016

PeerJ

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The cyanobacterium Arthrospira is among the most well-known food supplements worldwide known as “Spirulina.” While it is a widely recognized health-promoting natural product, there are no reports on the molecular diversity of commercially available brands of “Spirulina” supplements and the occurrence of other cyanobacterial and heterotrophic bacterial microorganisms in these products. In this study, 454-pyrosequencing analysis of the total bacterial occurrence in 31 brands of “Spirulina” dietary supplements from the Greek market was applied for the first time. In all samples, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Arthrospira platensis were the predominant cyanobacteria. Some products contained additional cyanobacterial OTUs including a few known potentially toxic taxa. Moreover, 469 OTUs were detected in all 31 products collectively, with most of them being related to the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. All samples included heterotrophic bacterial OTUs, ranging from 9–157 per product. Among the most common OTUs were ones closely related to taxa known for causing health issues (i.e., Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Vibrio, Aeromonas, Clostridium, Bacillus, Fusobacterium, Enterococcus). The observed high cyanobacterial and heterotrophic bacterial OTUs richness in the final product is a point for further research on the growth and processing of Arthrospira biomass for commercial purposes.

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Microfloral contamination and hydrolytic enzyme differences between monsooned and non-monsooned coffees

Rostami

Magan

2002

Lett Appl Microbiol

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Aims: To analyse and compare, for the first time, fungal and bacterial populations and hydrolytic enzyme production in four monsooned and non-monsooned Arabica and Robusta coffee types. Methods and Results: Overall, using serial dilution, the populations of bacteria (approximately 10 8 cfu g )1 ) were highest in monsooned coffees of both varieties. Fungal populations were lower (10 5 cfu g )1 ) and found predominantly on monsooned coffee beans. The major fungal species were Aspergillus terreus, A. restrictus and A. ochraceus. Of 19 semi-quantitative enzymes analysed, significantly higher concentrations of 2-naphthyl-butyrate, caprylate and 2-naphthyl-D-galactopyranosidase were present in Arabica monsooned coffee. Conclusions:The results suggest that speciality monsooned coffee has markedly different microbial and physiological characteristics from normally produced green coffees. Significance and Impact of Study: Monsooned coffee may have a higher contamination with spoilage moulds, especially mycotoxigenic species.

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Current microbiological status of `health foods' sold in Canada

Cited by 6 publications

References 12 publications

Comparative analysis of the bacterial flora of vegetables collected directly from farms and from supermarkets in Germany

Comparative analysis of the bacterial flora of vegetables collected directly from farms and from supermarkets in Germany

Molecular diversity of bacteria in commercially available “Spirulina” food supplements

Microfloral contamination and hydrolytic enzyme differences between monsooned and non-monsooned coffees

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