Abstract
Alfalfa sprouts are an important element in ready-to-eat vegetables for making a salad. This food item poses a potential and relatively high risk of food-borne illnesses due to the fact that it is ready to be used, and its exposure to poor sanitary conditions during both seed and sprout production. In addition, the conditions for seed germination as well as for sprouting are characterized by warm temperature, high humidity, and readily available nutrients. All of these conditions facilitate the growth of the microorganisms adhering to the seeds. In this study, refrigerated alfalfa sprouts from some domestic supermarkets in northern Taiwan were sampled; and the microbiological analysis showed these food samples to be negative for three types of pathogenic bacteria, while the total plate count (TPC) and coliform count were higher than 8 and 5 log CFU/g, respectively. In the experiments of chemical disinfectants including 0.5% H2O2, 100ppm available chlorine (NaOCl), 100 ppm ClO2 (Clean Good), and 75% ethanol as well as 50 and 70℃ sterile water, their effects on the bacterial load of alfalfa sprouts and on the germination rate of alfalfa seeds were tested. Among the chemicals, 100 ppm available chlorine, 75% ethanol, and 0.5% H2O2 could effectively reduce TPC by ＞1.5 log CFU/g of alfalfa seeds, while both 75% ethanol at 70℃ and 0.5% H2O2 at 50℃ displayed a negative impact on the germination rate of alfalfa seeds. During the process of seed germination and sprouting, both the TPC and the coliform count increased 3-4 log CFU/g of alfalfa sprouts. For freshly harvested alfalfa sprouts on which the TPC and the coliform count were initially 8.8 and 6.6 log CFU/g, respectively, a single chemical disinfection with acidified 60 ppm ClO2 (Clean Good), 60 ppm ClO2, 50 ppm available chlorine, or 50 ppm H2O2 reduced the TPC and the coliform count by only 0.9-2.2 and 0.2-1.0 log CFU/g, respectively. The cause of the poor efficacy of chemical disinfectants was due to the fact that a washing procedure with any single disinfectant could not completely sanitize or get rid of the alfalfa seed coating of bacterial contamination. In contrast, a three-stage washing treatments in a manner of sequential disinfection (NaOCl→Clean Good→electrolyzed oxidizing water) under ultrasonic enhancement could reduce 4.5 log CFU/g for TPC and 3.5 log CFU/g for coliform count, and eliminated Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Listeria monocytogenes (at 3.0 log CFU/g each) inoculated onto alfalfa sprouts.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Refrigerated sprouts tested negative for three pathogenic bacteria.
- Outcome
- three types of pathogenic bacteriae0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“these food samples to be negative for three types of pathogenic bacteria, while the total plate count (TPC) and coliform count were higher than 8 and 5 log CFU/g, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Sprout total plate count exceeded 8 log CFU/g.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the total plate count (TPC) and coliform count were higher than 8 and 5 log CFU/g, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Sprout coliform count exceeded 5 log CFU/g.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the total plate count (TPC) and coliform count were higher than 8 and 5 log CFU/g, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Available chlorine reduced alfalfa seed TPC by more than 1.5 log CFU/g.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- 100 ppm available chlorinee0
- Outcome
- TPCe0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Value
- ＞1.5 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“100 ppm available chlorine, 75% ethanol, and 0.5% H2O2 could effectively reduce TPC by ＞1.5 log CFU/g of alfalfa seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Ethanol reduced alfalfa seed TPC by more than 1.5 log CFU/g.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- 75% ethanole0
- Outcome
- TPCe0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Value
- ＞1.5 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“100 ppm available chlorine, 75% ethanol, and 0.5% H2O2 could effectively reduce TPC by ＞1.5 log CFU/g of alfalfa seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Hydrogen peroxide reduced alfalfa seed TPC by more than 1.5 log CFU/g.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“100 ppm available chlorine, 75% ethanol, and 0.5% H2O2 could effectively reduce TPC by ＞1.5 log CFU/g of alfalfa seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Ethanol at 70℃ reduced alfalfa seed germination.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- 75% ethanol at 70℃e0
- Outcome
- germination ratee0
- Direction
- negative impacte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“75% ethanol at 70℃ and 0.5% H2O2 at 50℃ displayed a negative impact on the germination rate of alfalfa seeds.”
Claim · model-written summary
Hydrogen peroxide at 50℃ reduced alfalfa seed germination.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- 0.5% H2O2 at 50℃e0
- Outcome
- germination ratee0
- Direction
- negative impacte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“75% ethanol at 70℃ and 0.5% H2O2 at 50℃ displayed a negative impact on the germination rate of alfalfa seeds.”
Claim · model-written summary
TPC rose 3-4 log CFU/g during alfalfa sprouting.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- TPCe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 3-4 log CFU/ge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During the process of seed germination and sprouting, both the TPC and the coliform count increased 3-4 log CFU/g of alfalfa sprouts.”
Claim · model-written summary
Coliform count rose 3-4 log CFU/g during alfalfa sprouting.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- coliform counte0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 3-4 log CFU/ge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During the process of seed germination and sprouting, both the TPC and the coliform count increased 3-4 log CFU/g of alfalfa sprouts.”
Claim · model-written summary
Single disinfectant washing reduced sprout TPC by only 0.9-2.2 log CFU/g.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“a single chemical disinfection with acidified 60 ppm ClO2 (Clean Good), 60 ppm ClO2, 50 ppm available chlorine, or 50 ppm H2O2 reduced the TPC and the coliform count by only 0.9-2.2 and 0.2-1.0 log CFU/g, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Single disinfectant washing reduced sprout coliform count by only 0.2-1.0 log CFU/g.
- Treatment
- a single chemical disinfectione0
- Outcome
- coliform counte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 0.2-1.0 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“a single chemical disinfection with acidified 60 ppm ClO2 (Clean Good), 60 ppm ClO2, 50 ppm available chlorine, or 50 ppm H2O2 reduced the TPC and the coliform count by only 0.9-2.2 and 0.2-1.0 log CFU/g, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Single disinfectant washing could not completely remove seed coating contamination.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- any single disinfectante0
- Outcome
- bacterial contaminatione0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a washing procedure with any single disinfectant could not completely sanitize or get rid of the alfalfa seed coating of bacterial contamination.”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-stage ultrasonic washing reduced sprout TPC by 4.5 log CFU/g.
- Treatment
- sequential disinfection (NaOCl→Clean Good→electrolyzed oxidizing water) under ultrasonic enhancemente0
- Outcome
- TPCe0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Value
- 4.5 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“a three-stage washing treatments in a manner of sequential disinfection (NaOCl→Clean Good→electrolyzed oxidizing water) under ultrasonic enhancement could reduce 4.5 log CFU/g for TPC and 3.5 log CFU/g for coliform count”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-stage ultrasonic washing reduced sprout coliform count by 3.5 log CFU/g.
- Treatment
- sequential disinfection (NaOCl→Clean Good→electrolyzed oxidizing water) under ultrasonic enhancemente0
- Outcome
- coliform counte0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Value
- 3.5 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“a three-stage washing treatments in a manner of sequential disinfection (NaOCl→Clean Good→electrolyzed oxidizing water) under ultrasonic enhancement could reduce 4.5 log CFU/g for TPC and 3.5 log CFU/g for coliform count”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-stage washing eliminated inoculated Salmonella typhimurium on alfalfa sprouts.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- Salmonella typhimuriume0
- Direction
- eliminatede0
- Value
- 3.0 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“eliminated Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Listeria monocytogenes (at 3.0 log CFU/g each) inoculated onto alfalfa sprouts.”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-stage washing eliminated inoculated Escherichia coli O157: H7 on alfalfa sprouts.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- Escherichia coli O157: H7e0
- Direction
- eliminatede0
- Value
- 3.0 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“eliminated Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Listeria monocytogenes (at 3.0 log CFU/g each) inoculated onto alfalfa sprouts.”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-stage washing eliminated inoculated Listeria monocytogenes on alfalfa sprouts.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- Listeria monocytogenese0
- Direction
- eliminatede0
- Value
- 3.0 log CFU/ge0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“eliminated Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Listeria monocytogenes (at 3.0 log CFU/g each) inoculated onto alfalfa sprouts.”
The same questions in other papers
hydrogen peroxide · growth · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Results differ
3 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.