Application of microbiological method direct epifluorescence filter techique/aerobic plate count agar in the identification of irradiated herbs and spices


Submitted: 9 May 2013
Accepted: 25 February 2014
Published: 28 August 2014
Abstract Views: 1334
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Authors

Irradiation is a preservation technology used to improve the safety and hygienic quality of food. Aim of this study was to assess the applicability and validity of the microbiological screening method direct epifluorescence filter technique (DEFT)/aerobic plate count (APC) (EN 13783:2001) for the identification of irradiated herbs and spices. Tests on non-irradiated and irradiated samples of dried herbs and spices were performed. The method was based on the comparison of APC and count obtained using DEFT. In accordance with the standard reference, this method is not applicable to samples with APC<103 colony forming units (CFU)/g and this is its main limit. The results obtained in our laboratories showed that in 50% of cases of non-irradiated samples and in 96% of the samples treated with ionising radiation, the method was not applicable due to a value of CFU/g<103.

Maria Concetta Campagna, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana, Roma
Tecnologo alimentare, dirigente primo livelllo Direzione Operativa Produzioni Zootecniche, IZS Lazio e Toscana

Supporting Agencies

the authors would like to thank the Italian Ministry of Health for funding the present research through the LT 03/09 project

1.
Campagna MC, Di Schiavi MT, Foti M, Mosconi MC, Mattiolo G, Cavallina R. Application of microbiological method direct epifluorescence filter techique/aerobic plate count agar in the identification of irradiated herbs and spices. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2014 Aug. 28 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];3(3). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/ijfs.2014.1650

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