Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control

11-16

Authors: G. Beev, D. Stratev, I. Vashin, D. Pavlov, D. Dinkov

Background: Due to its nutrient content, a variety of spoilage microorganisms can grow in bee pollen, especially when handling practices are not appropriate. So, this survey was designed to assess the physicochemical and microbiological properties of bee pollen collected from Bulgaria. Methods: In June 2014, 13 fresh and 19 dried bee pollen samples were collected from Bulgaria. Water activity (aw), pH, Total Titratable Acidity (TTA), and bacteriological and fungal counts were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Statistica ver. 10. Results: Mean aw value for fresh and dried bee pollen samples were 0.717 and 0.359, respectively showing significant (p<0.01) difference. The mean pH values of fresh bee pollen samples (4.23) was significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of dried ones (5.21). Also, there is statistically significant difference (p<0.01) between mean TTA value of fresh bee pollen (3.69 g/100 g) and mean TTA value of dried samples (2.09 g/100 g). The mean total viable count in fresh bee pollen samples was 182153.8 Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/g which was significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of dried samples (30352.6 CFU/g); whereas statistical analysis demonstrated that there were no significant differences (p>0.01) among the fresh and dried pollen for Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, and Staphylococcus spp. counts. The fungal colony count in the fresh bee pollen samples varied from 560 to 37000 CFU/g which were significantly (p<0.01) higher than that in the dried ones. Conclusion: The fresh bee pollen analyzed in this survey had poor microbial quality compared to the dried bee pollen. There is also need to adopt appropriate manufacturing practices to prevent possible contamination by equipment or handling of Bulgarian bee pollen.

65

Authors: -

There is no abstract.

70-73

Authors: M. Soleimani, H. Hosseini, Z. Neyestani, S. Siadati, Z. Pilevar

Background: Beef burgers made in Iran contain various compounds such as meat, cereals flour, as well as some spices which can be contaminated to Bacillus cereus, causing gastroenteritis in the consumer. This study is focused on occurrence of B. cereus in beef burgers marketed in Tehran, capital of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 80 samples of different types of beef burgers marketed in Tehran, Iran were randomly collected based on their percentage of meat content, including 30% (n=25), 60% (n=40) as well as 90% (n=15). The samples were analyzed microbiologically by routine culture assay and biochemical tests to find B. cereus. Data were analyzed statistically by Microsoft Office Excel 2010. Results: Twenty-five out of 80 (31.25%) beef burger samples were contaminated by B. cereus. Based on the percentage of meat content in the samples, the beef burger with 90% meat were significantly (p<0.05) more contaminated than the others. Also, the contamination rate was significantly (p<0.05) higher in summer compared to winter. Conclusion: This survey showed that the beef burgers supplied in Iran markets is main source of B. cereus that can cause disease in Iranian consumers. More attempts must be focused on cold-chain maintenance in production, distribution, and storage of the meat products.

79-84

Authors: P. Ardehali, F. Asadi, A. Jebelli Javan, M. Jahantigh, M. Aminzare

Background: The oxidation of unsaturated lipids by free radicals is one of the main causes of food deterioration. The major purpose of the present study was to determine effectiveness of application of honey in order to reduce oxidation in soybean oil. Methods: Six groups were designed, including control (soybean oil emulsion without preservative), positive control (butylated hydroxyl toluene 200 ppm), and soybean oil treatment groups (containing 1, 2.5, 5, and 7.5% honey). Each group was sampled in order to measure peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and total antioxidant capacity parameters during 5 intervals (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days). Data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS statistical software. Results: Total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity (IC50 in mg/ml) were estimated to be 74.8±0.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g and 23.4±0.2 mg/ml, respectively. Totally, the soybean oil samples treated by 2.5 and 5% honey showed higher (p<0.05) antioxidant capacity than control and other treatment groups. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated considerable antioxidant potency of honey in oil emulsion. Owing to economical reasons, it is recommended that 2.5% honey could be applied as an alternative for synthetic antioxidants in oil-rich foods.

90

Authors: C. Fall

There is no abstract.