Detection of irradiated spices with a microbiological method - DEFT/APC method

The decontamination of spices that are to be used as ingredients in processed foods is necessary in order to prevent the introduction of spoilage microorganisms and more rarely disease causing organisms. Spices can be contaminated with bacteria and moulds in concentration from 103 to 108 microorganisms per gram so that, even when used in small amounts, they can contaminate food with large numbers of microorganisms. The most effective means of decontaminating spices is irradiation treatment with an absorbed radiation dose from 5 to 10 kGy. Several countries are commercially using radiation processing of spices. A microbiological screening method based on the use of the direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT) and the conventional aerobic plate count (APC) has been established for the detection of irradiated spices. The DEFT count enumerates the total number of contaminating microorganisms, irrespective of viability, in an untreated or treated spice sample. This paper reports recent investigations on the possibility that the inclusion of a mesophilic aerobic spore count will enable irradiated spices to be distinguished from ethylene oxide (EtO) or heat treated spices. (author)