MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF DATE PALM FRUIT SOLD IN ABU DHABI EMIRATE
ADFCA act to monitor the implementation of hygiene during the manufacturing process following the HACCP system and the application of food safety requirements.
This is to ascertain that the date fruit is of high quality and free of microbiological contamination and to ensure healthy products for human consumption through testing at approved laboratories in ADFCA.
Samples of date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) of different date palm cultivars including bulk, loss, vacuum, paste and date with chocolates were collected from local markets, retailed products and processed by-products from factories in Abu Dhabi emirate brought to the laboratories, Microbiology section in Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), Al Ain branch.
The microbiological quality of date fruit was studied following standard operation procedure (1), LAB-DPM-MICRO-09 for enumeration of yeast and mould in food, using wort agar for isolation of osmophilic yeast and potato dextrose agar for mould identified by macroscopic appearance on selective culture media and microscopic morphology, other method of LAB-DPM-MICRO-03 for detection of Salmonella spp. in food by pre-enrichment culture and sub cultured on selective media and LAB-DPM-MICRO-07 for enumeration of coliform bacilli and E. coli in food by MPN technique using appropriate enrichment broth for E. coli and coliform cultivation by sub culturing on selective media.
Through periodic inspections, ADFCA have been able to reduce the rate of microbiological contamination by osmophilic yeast and molds from 29.7% in 2006 to 16.6% in 2009 by work of investigation in terms for correct application of requirements specifications from import institutions and factories also application of standard measurement rules by damage of cargo in case of unfit microbiological contamination products. A total number of (245) samples , 53 (21.6%) samples were not compliant with UAE regulation results due to total count of osmophelic yeast and mould exceeding the maximum limit according to microbiological criteria in the UAE standard No.: 1016/2002, (2), ranging from 29.7% (22/74), 19.5% (9/46), 21.7% (5/23) and 16.6% (17/102) in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively, while E. coli and Salmonella were not detected in this study.
This is to ascertain that the date fruit is of high quality and free of microbiological contamination and to ensure healthy products for human consumption through testing at approved laboratories in ADFCA.
Samples of date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) of different date palm cultivars including bulk, loss, vacuum, paste and date with chocolates were collected from local markets, retailed products and processed by-products from factories in Abu Dhabi emirate brought to the laboratories, Microbiology section in Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), Al Ain branch.
The microbiological quality of date fruit was studied following standard operation procedure (1), LAB-DPM-MICRO-09 for enumeration of yeast and mould in food, using wort agar for isolation of osmophilic yeast and potato dextrose agar for mould identified by macroscopic appearance on selective culture media and microscopic morphology, other method of LAB-DPM-MICRO-03 for detection of Salmonella spp. in food by pre-enrichment culture and sub cultured on selective media and LAB-DPM-MICRO-07 for enumeration of coliform bacilli and E. coli in food by MPN technique using appropriate enrichment broth for E. coli and coliform cultivation by sub culturing on selective media.
Through periodic inspections, ADFCA have been able to reduce the rate of microbiological contamination by osmophilic yeast and molds from 29.7% in 2006 to 16.6% in 2009 by work of investigation in terms for correct application of requirements specifications from import institutions and factories also application of standard measurement rules by damage of cargo in case of unfit microbiological contamination products. A total number of (245) samples , 53 (21.6%) samples were not compliant with UAE regulation results due to total count of osmophelic yeast and mould exceeding the maximum limit according to microbiological criteria in the UAE standard No.: 1016/2002, (2), ranging from 29.7% (22/74), 19.5% (9/46), 21.7% (5/23) and 16.6% (17/102) in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively, while E. coli and Salmonella were not detected in this study.
Al Jawally, E.A.K. (2010). MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF DATE PALM FRUIT SOLD IN ABU DHABI EMIRATE. Acta Hortic. 882, 1209-1212
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.882.138
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.882.138
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.882.138
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.882.138
HACCP, date palm, osmophilic yeast, mould, fruits, E. coli MPN
English