A partial microbial profile was determined for documented samples of imported and domestic spices. Bacteria of public health significance were absent. The incidence and numbers of amylolytic and proteolytic organisms, thermophilic sporeformers, yeasts and molds, and total microorganisms varied among the different spices as well as within each type of spice. When cells of Salmonella were inoculated in pre-enrichment cultures containing allspice, cassia, onion, and oregano, a definitive inhibition of growth was noted. To detect Salmonella in preparations of these spices, only small amounts of the condiment can be cultured.

Most aerobic and facultative bacteria contain a cytochrome system that serves as a terminal electron carrier during aerobic respiration. The majority of these bacteria also produce catalase that can decompose any hydrogen peroxide that might be produced by flavoprotein oxidases. These two iron-porphyrin systems generally are not present in anaerobic bacteria or in lactic acid bacteria. This correlation has led to employment of the simple test for catalase as a general test for iron-porphyrin systems, and a negative catalase test is a common criterion for differentiating lactic acid bacteria from morphologically similar organisms. However, catalase-positive lactic acid bacteria have been described (

Studies on a collection of enterococci isolated from diverse sources have confirmed the existence of two distinct species, namely, Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium. In contrast with S. faecium, S. faecalis characteristically ferments melezitose, sorbitol, glycerol (anaerobically), citrate, and gluconate; fails to ferment arabinose and melibiose; has strong reducing capacities as demonstrated by