Microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt

BACKGROUND

Bakery products are important food snacks consumed by people of all ages and economic groups. The growth of unwanted microorganisms that deteriorate products such as bacteria, moulds, and fungi in these foodstuffs may offer risks to consumers' health and generate considerable economic losses. This work aimed to assess the microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt.

METHODS

This cross-sectional comparative study involved 168 local and branded bakery products that were collected randomly from 2 districts in Alexandria. Hygienic practices such as covering of the bread and wearing gloves during handling were observed and recorded. All bread samples were tested to determine the total plate count (TPC), presence/absence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), total yeasts and moulds in CFU/g and total coliform count (TC) in MPN/g.

RESULTS

The mean of the total yeasts and moulds and TC in the packed bread was lower than that of the unpacked bread (3.40 × 103 CFU/g and 3.25 MPN/g versus 6.37 × 103 CFU/g and 31.61 MPN/g, respectively). However, the mean of TPC in the packed bread was higher than that of the unpacked bread (1.39 × 106 versus 2.07 × 105 CFU/g, respectively). The mean TPC, total yeasts and moulds and TC was higher in the studied flatbread than Fino bread and toast (3.4 × 106, 1.14 × 104 CFU/g and 24.6 MPN/g, respectively). The presence of S. aureus was higher in flat, unpacked bread, bread displayed outside the shop and handled without gloves.

CONCLUSION

Bread produced by local bakeries showed lower standards in packaging and microbial quality. Better manufacturing, packaging, storage, and handling initiatives should be introduced to avoid related food safety concerns in the future. The formal authorities should define and clarify standards and rules on bread safety.

Nutritional Quality and Safety Characteristics of Imported Biscuits Marketed in Basrah, Iraq

The ingredients and the preparation methods influence biscuit quality and safety. In Iraq, biscuit imports are increasing every year, but no information is available in the scientific literature on their quality and safety features. This work analyzed three types of biscuits (cookies, crackers, and digestives) sampled in the Basrah markets (Iraq) but produced in Spain, Iran, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. Nine different brands were considered for each country of origin (n = 36), with three replicates per sample. Moisture, ash, fat, proteins, fiber, water activity, peroxide value, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF), acrylamide, heavy metals, and microbial load were analyzed. All the nutritional parameters were significantly influenced by the variables “Biscuit type” and “Country”. Cookies showed significantly higher fat content and lower protein content than crackers and digestives, as well as higher peroxide value (which was below the limit set by the FAO/WHO within the World Wood Program). Spanish samples had more fat and fewer proteins than biscuits made in other countries. Very high variability was observed in HMF (from not detected to 62.08 mg/kg) and AA content (reaching 1421.8 μg/kg). Cadmium was always absent, and lead was considerably below the allowed limit. Yeasts and molds were above the limits in five samples.