#microbiological quality

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Improving the microbiological quality of spices and spice blends using treatments accessible to SMEs/SMIs

The aim of this study is to contribute to the safety of spices and spice blends through the use of simple treatments that can be applied in SMEs/SMIs. To this end, samples of fresh onion bulbs, par sley, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, and garlic were collected for the production of treated and untreated powdered spices. Samples of powdered spices of the same type were also purchased commercially in order to compare the results. Four types of heat treatment were applied depending on the nature of the spice. These were blanching, roasting, oven heating, and tyndallization. Microbiological analyses were carried out using standardized methods and covered all samples. The moisture content of the spices was also determined. An overall assessment of the results of the analyses of total mesophilic aerobic flora, yeasts and molds, Staphylococcus aureus, sulfite-reducing Clostridium, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella shows that, according to microbiological quality criteria, 75. 00 % of untreated powdered spices are of unsatisfactory quality, as are 71.43 % of commercial powdered spices. The treatments resulted in a reduction of between 0.06 and 6.15 log CFU/g, depending on the bacteria. This reduction resulted in satisfactory quality for 62.50 % of the treated spices and acceptable quality for 37.50 %. Blanching and roasting resulted in an acceptable quality blend of spices. However, heating in an oven did not significantly improve the microbiological quality of the spice blend. These simple treatments blanching and roasting could be applied in SMEs/SMIs processing companies to reduce the microbial load in spices and spice blends.

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Meat is an important source of macronutrients and micronutrients essential for maintaining a healthy body. However, meat processing can sometimes lead to contamination due to poor hygiene. This study aimed to assess the impact of domestic drying on the microbiological quality of dried meats sold in N’Djamena. Microbiological analyses were carried out using standard analytical methods. Data were processed in Excel 2016 and compared using SPSS 17.0 software. A total of 30 samples were collected from April to June 2022 at 5 sites in N’Djamena. Total aerobic mesophilic flora ranged from 5.27×105 to 5.18×107 CFU/g, while thermotolerant coliforms varied from 2.15×103 to 3.75×105 CFU/g. S. aureus was present in all samples, with loads ranging from 1.82×104 to 6.09×104 CFU/g. Yeasts and molds ranged from 1.15×103 to 5.91×104 CFU/g, and E. coli from 2.91×102 to 6×103 CFU/g. The microbiological quality of the samples analyzed showed high levels of unsatisfactory results: 53.30% for total aerobic mesophilic flora, 70% for total coliforms, 26% for thermotolerant coliforms and 60% for Staphylococcus aureus. The microbiological results show that artisanal drying methods hurt the quality of dried meat sold in N’Djamena.