Microbiological Quality and Safety of Energy Drink Available in the Local Markets in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A Energy drinks have become a popular beverage worldwide. The global market for energy drink has gained momentum in the past decade, and demand is increasing every year. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of commercial energy drinks available in the local stores in Saudi Arabia. Total bacterial count, coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were included in this analysis. Out of a total of 20 tested energy drinks, microbial contamination was present in only two products. Microbial levels of the total bacterial count for most of the samples were very low (< 1.0 log CFU/ml). The initial biochemical analysis from these two samples indicated the presence of Bacillus which is common spoilage bacteria in soft drinks showed bacterial contamination. In addition, we also tested the impact of energy drinks on beneficial microorganisms (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus spp). We found that in all tested energy drinks bacterial population decreased by at least 4.0 log CFU/ml indicating the negative effects of drinks on the survival of beneficial microorganisms. Our findings suggested that safety improvements are needed in these energy drinks. Moreover, consumers also need to be educated regarding the impact of various ingredients, their safety, and recommendation regarding the use of these drinks. This will help to ensure safe products available for today's savvy, health-conscious consumer. Thus, the proposed methodology could be useful for quality and safety control purposes in the energy drinks industry.

Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin Resistant S. aureus in Commercial Soft Drink with Antimicrobial Resistance Test on Isolates in Ethiopia

“…The present finding indicated the presence of S. aureus in products from Saud-Arabia (8.2%) as the counter zero reports of Aljaloud et al in energy drink [29]. This could be either due to differences in the types of studied product, and multiplication of the few microbial present in product during packaging, while distance transportation of the products to Ethiopia [30].…”

“…Staphylococcal count of 0 to 2.3 × 10 3 CFU/ml in juices from Dhaka City was also reported [28]. On the other hand, Aljaloud et al [29] reported absence Staphylococcus in energy drink from Raid-Saud Arabia. Cutter also suggested the use of combination of rigid packaging materials made from metal, glass or plastic provides the heat as most effective inactivating microorganisms during product processing [30].…”

Use of dietary and performance-enhancing supplements among male fitness center members in Riyadh: A cross-sectional study

“…Conversely, many dietary supplements have been recalled from the market for being contaminated with prescription drugs and/or microorganisms [ 8 , 12 – 14 ]. Although the SFDA requires the manufacturers of dietary supplements to provide evidence that proves the safety and purity of their preparations besides examining a sample of the new products in the SFDA laboratories, some products were found to be contaminated with microorganisms after being approved and marketed [ 15 ]. For example, some weight loss products were found to be contaminated with aliphatic amine stimulants, such as 1,3-dimethylamylamine, which has been implicated with several cases of cerebral hemorrhage and cardiac arrest [ 16 – 19 ].…”

Prevalence and risk of heterotrophic microorganisms in a carbonated soft drink factory

“…In line with this study, commercial carbonated water has been analysed elsewhere (Saleh et al, 2008) and no bacteria were detected in the water. In another study by Aljaloud (2016) on commercial non-alcoholic energy drinks, it was found that most of the carbonated energy drinks analysed did not contain harmful bacteria and total bacterial counts for most of the samples were less than 1 log CFU/mL). As pointed out by Ashurst (2009), the main factor in determining shelf life for carbonated beverages, is the retention of carbon-dioxide in finished products.…”