Microbial Quality of Alfalfa Seeds and Sprouts after a Chlorine Treatment and Packaging Modifications

Abstract

Alfalfa seeds were treated with chlorine to determine the effect on microbial populations during soaking, sprouting, and refrigerated storage in three packaging environments. Chlorine was effective in reducing microbial populations on the seeds, but numbers increased during sprouting. Chlorine treatments had the most impact on yeast and molds during storage. Yeast and molds were significantly higher in sprouts that were stored in vacuum packages and in sprouts from non-chlorine treated seeds stored in MAP. Yeast and mold counts on all sprouts stored in perforated packaging did not significantly increase during storage. A combination of chlorine treatment of the seeds and preforated packaging of sprouts may increase the shelf-life.

Microbiology of retail mung bean sprouts vended in public markets of National Capital Region, Philippines

“…Gabriel (2005) reported that LAB populations can increase by more than 6.00 log 10 CFU · g ¡1 even at hygienic conditions. The results are also in agreement to those reported by Soylemez et al (2001) and Kakiomenou et al (1996) stating that LAB are among the dominating Xora of vegetables, including sprouted seeds.…”

“…Samples obtained from public markets of Quezon, Valenzuela and Malabon cities has the signiWcantly highest populations. Jinneman et al (1995) and Soylemez et al (2001) explained that sprouted seeds will normally have TPCs as much as 8.00 log 10 CFU · g ¡1 . Such numbers can be attributed to the intrinsic microbiota of the seeds and the favorable conditions which the microbiota is subjected to during the sprouting process.…”

“…The TC and EC were enumerated by surface plating 1.0 ml of appropriate dilutions onto 3 M PetriWlm E. coli/ coliform count plates (3 M St. Paul, MN, USA) (Soylemez, Brashears, Smith, & Cuppett, 2001). The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 h prior to coliform enumerations which appeared as red colonies associated with gas formation.…”

Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus KFRI342 on the development of chemically induced precancerous growths in the rat colon

“…The resulting homogenate was serially 10-fold diluted with PW. The TPC and EC were determined by surface plating 1.0 ml of appropriate dilutions onto Petrifilm aerobic count plates and E. coli count plates (3M Microbiology Products) (Soylemez et al, 2001), respectively, followed by incubation for 48 h at 37 uC. The numbers of blue colonies, which are associated with gas formation, were recorded.…”

Development of Effective Seed Decontamination Technology to Inactivate Pathogens on Mung Bean Seeds and Its Practical Application in Japan

“…Many other chemical agents were studied to decontaminate the sprout seeds. Some examples of interventions studied are: heat 30 , combination of heat and chemical 31,53,60 , NaOCl, acidified NaOCl, Ca(OCl) 2 , ozone 44,68 , electrolyzed water 54 , ozonated water 55,56 , acidified electrolyzed water 59 , peroxyacetic acid 51 , scarification 29,47 , ultra sound 53 , pressure 56 , competitive inhibition 73 , and packaging modification 57 . The use of gamma irradiation in combination with chemical treatments (e.g., 20,000 ppm calcium hypochlorite) was investigated, but still does not guarantee the required 5 log reduction 63 .…”