The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial and fungal quality of minimally-processed vegetables (MPV) and sprouts. A total of 116 samples of fresh-cut vegetables, ready-to-eat salads, and mung bean and wheat sprouts were randomly collected and analyzed. The load of aerobic mesophilic bacteria was minimum and maximum in the fresh-cut vegetables and fresh mung bean sprouts respectively, corresponding to populations of 5.3 and 8.5 log CFU/g. E. coli O157:H7 was found to be absent in all samples; however, other E. coli strains were detected in 21 samples (18.1%), and Salmonella spp. were found in one mung bean (3.1%) and one ready-to-eat salad sample (5%). Yeasts were the predominant organisms and were found in 100% of the samples. Geotrichum, Fusarium, and Penicillium spp. were the most prevalent molds in mung sprouts while Cladosporium and Penicillium spp. were most frequently found in ready-to-eat salad samples. According to results from the present study, effective control measures should be implemented to minimize the microbiological contamination of fresh produce sold in Tehran, Iran.

Background and objectives: Heavy metals are considered as one of the major contaminants that can enter into the bottled waters. Antimony (Sb) is a contaminant, which may leach from the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into the water. The aim of this study was to investigate the content of antimony and other trace elements in bottled waters which was kept in varied storage conditions and temperatures. Materials and methods: Five time-temperature treatments were carried out on five different brands of commercially available bottled waters. Heavy metal measurement was performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) method. Analysis of the collected data was processed by SPSS software. Results: Antimony concentration was the main concern in our study. The concentrations increased in each of the sample during storage period at all temperatures. The results for different conditions were as follow: at 40°C, in outdoor and at room temperature the Sb concentrations were below the MCLs, i e. 6 ppb. However, at 65°C and 80°C for longer storage times Sb concentration exceeded the MCLs, and variations between the samples were significant (p ≤ 0.05). Storage time and temperature effects on the content of some other trace elements such as Al, Fe were also significant (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: By increasing the duration of storage time and temperatures, antimony leaching from the PET bottles into the bottled water increased. The concentration of Al demonstrated an increase in higher temperatures and storage duration, whereas the content of Fe demonstrated no significant differences.

Background: Cryptosporidium spp. is one of the most important parasitic pathogen which causes acute gastroenteritis in human. This study aimed to determine and compare the contamination rates of Cryptosporidium oocysts in some common vegetables that are cultured and consumed in Koya City, Iraq. Methods: Totally, 400 vegetable samples were collected ...

Iranian journal of health science مجله علوم بهداشتی ایران

Tree nuts, especially pistachio kernels, are highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. These substances are produced by certain moulds such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Release of aflatoxins in pistachio bulks and their sources are the main causes of aflatoxin contamination in pistachio nuts. The aim of this study is the assessment of aflatoxins in some pistachio cultivars supplied in bulk in Tehran Food stores. Iranian pistachio cultivars such as Ahmad Aghaei, Akhbari closed-mouth, half-splitting Akbari, Ohadi, Badami Sefid, Chorouke, Khanjari Damghan, Abbas Ali, Fandoghi 48, Kaleghoochi, and Mumtaz, were randomly collected and sampled from nuts supply centres. Levels of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, and total aflatoxin were measured in the cultivars using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The findings showed that aflatoxin B1 contamination was found only in Akbari closed-mouth (0.3 μg/kg) and Ohadi (0.4 μg/kg) pistachio cultivars (p < 0.05). Total aflatoxin levels in these two cultivars were measured at 0.3 and 0.4 μg/kg, respectively (p < 0.05), with no aflatoxin found in the other cultivars. The values measured in the present study are lower than the maximum tolerance established in the national standard for aflatoxin B1 (5 μg/kg) and the total aflatoxin (15 μg/kg) in the pistachio crop. It was concluded that the density of aflatoxin in highly consumed pistachio cultivars supplied in Tehran is within acceptable health and safety standards.