Microbiological Status and Quality Traits of Ready-to-Eat Minimally Processed Vegetables Sold in Córdoba, Argentina

CAMILETTI ORNELLA FRANCINA; VAZQUEZ CAROLINA; MORETTI CECILIA INES; OBERTO MARIA GEORGINA; BARAQUET MARIA LUCIA; RODRIGUEZ LOURDES EMILIA

Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control

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Lugar: -; Año: 2021 p. 119 - 124

2345-685X

Background: The changes and the availability of processed foods have increased thedemand for ready-to-eat foods, such as Minimally Processed Vegetables (MPVs). Thepurpose of this work was to evaluate the microbiological status and quality traits of theMPVs obtained from retail outlets of Córdoba, Argentina.Methods: Totally, 60 MPVs of 12 brands (30 single-ingredient salads and 30 mixed saladtrays) were randomly sampled from different retail outlets of Córdoba, Argentina. Thesamples were analyzed according to international standards for Total Coliforms (TC),Fecal Coliforms (FC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, andYeast and Molds (YM). The quality traits (respect to physical and sensory properties) ofthe MPVs were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed with InfoStat.Results: All 60 MPV samples were positive for TC, ranging from 1.32 to 3.38 log MostProbable Number (MPN)/g. FC counts ranged from 0.30 to 1.95 log MPN/g. Out of 60samples, 15 (25%) were positive for E. coli. Three brands of mixed trays were positivefor S. aureus. Regarding sensory characteristics, the parameters such as freshness, turgid,normal color, decay, and dehydration were compliance in 42 out of 60 (70%) samples.Conclusion: Some MPVs sampled from Córdoba, Argentina showed low microbiologicalquality and imperfect quality traits.