title: Determination and improvement of microbial safety of wheat sprouts with chemical sanitizers.
abstract: In this study, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), total coliform (TC), yeasts and moulds (YM), and Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus counts of wheat seeds and sprouts germinated for 9 days under different relative humidity (RH) (90% and 95%) and temperatures (18 °C, 20 °C, and 22 °C) were determined. The disinfection capabilities of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (100, 200, and 400 ppm) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) (3% and 6%) on wheat seeds/sprouts were also investigated. It has been found that native TAMB, TC, YM, and E. coli population significantly increased (p<0.05) with the germination; however, no Salmonella and S. aureus were detected on the seeds and/or sprouts. Again, increasing the temperature and RH resulted in a rapid proliferation of microorganisms. On the other hand, E. coli population could be completely eliminated by the treatment of different concentrations of NaOCl or H(2)O(2) before the germination of wheat seeds. Again, increasing the NaOCl and H(2)O(2) concentrations resulted in additional reductions of TAMB, TC, and YM population; and the highest reductions in sprouts were observed when the seed was soaked in 400 ppm NaOCl for 30 minutes followed by tap water wash and germination for 9 days. Population reduction of 1.46 log colony-forming unit (cfu)/g of TAMB, 1.97 log cfu/g of YM, and 0.84 log cfu/g of TC in sprouts was achieved when compared with the control. The chemical sanitization did not negatively affect the germination capability of the seeds. Therefore, soaking the seeds in 400 ppm of NaOCl for 30 minutes followed by a germination environment of 18 °C and 90% RH was found to be the most appropriate germination condition for wheat sprouts with reduced microbial population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Safiye Cikrikcioglu Vocational School, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. fatih@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tornuk
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sagdic
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yetim
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013227:Steam; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014908:Triticum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D013227:Steam; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite