Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section-University of Bari Aldo Moro, Medical School, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
ARPA Puglia, Regional Agency of the Environmental Prevention and Protection, Department of Brindisi Operative Unit of Food and Drink, via Galanti, 16, 72100 Brindisi, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 12;17(14):5005. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145005.
In recent years, the chaotic habits of modern life have favored the consumption of quickly prepared meals, using ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and condiments. The aim of this study was to establish the microbiological safety of RTE sauces and pesto from markets analyzed at different stages of shelf life. In the bacterial investigation, all samples were shown to be acceptable, although differences were observed concerning shelf life times. On the other hand, the fungal investigation showed frequent positive results, with concentrations higher than threshold values. Detected microbial diffusion was the lowest when products were far from the expiry date and had just been opened, while high microbial proliferation was observed when analyzing the same package after 48 h, higher than for a product close to the end of its shelf life. This study highlights the discreet microbiological quality of processed and RTE foods, underlining the importance of hygienic-sanitary surveillance of these foods to their shelf life. Consequently, it is necessary to: (1) implement a food control plan for all food categories to carry out risk analysis associated with their consumption; and (2) better adapt the regulations relating to microbiological analysis, and understand the biological significance of each microbial parameter throughout the shelf life of foods.
近年来，现代生活的混乱习惯助长了人们对快餐的消费，使用即食（RTE）食品和调味料。本研究旨在确定市场上分析的 RTE 酱汁和香蒜酱在不同货架寿命阶段的微生物安全性。在细菌调查中，所有样品都被证明是可以接受的，尽管在货架寿命方面存在差异。另一方面，真菌调查显示经常出现阳性结果，浓度高于阈值。当产品远离保质期且刚刚打开时，检测到的微生物扩散最低，而在分析同一包装 48 小时后，即接近保质期结束时，观察到微生物大量繁殖。本研究强调了加工和 RTE 食品的微生物质量，突出了对这些食品进行卫生监督的重要性，以确保其货架寿命。因此，有必要：（1）实施针对所有食品类别的食品控制计划，以进行与其消费相关的风险分析；（2）更好地适应与微生物分析相关的法规，并在食品的整个货架寿命内理解每个微生物参数的生物学意义。
