Evaluation of the Microbiological Quality of Commercial and Lab-Prepared Orange Juice

Abstract

Because of its energizing flavors, natural sugars that provide immediate energy, and nutrients that promote the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds that can withstand acid, orange juice has become one of the most popular natural beverages. The goal of the current study was to examine the microbiological analysis of freshly and commercially made orange juices. After being pasteurized, carbonated, condensed, and chemically treated with sodium metabisulphite as a preservative, freshly made orange juices were kept for 90 days at room temperature, in a freezer, and in a refrigerator. The commercialized, fresh, and stored samples had pH values ranging from 3.0 to 4.5, respectively. The commercially, newly, and stored samples had total bacterial loads ranging from 1.6x105 to 3.6x106 and total yeast cell counts ranging from 1.7x104 to 4.8x106 cfu/ml. From the orange juices, twenty-two microbial species were identified, including five bacterial isolates, six yeast isolates, and eleven mold isolates. Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pantothenticus, Bacillus aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli were the bacterial isolates that were found in the samples. Trichoderma sp., Aspergillus sp., Mycelia sp., Chrysosporium sp., Blastomyces sp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces rouxii, and Saccharomyces telluris were the fungal isolates. Bacillus species dominated the bacterial isolates, whereas Saccharomyces and Mycelia species dominated the fungal isolates, accounting for five of the eleven isolates. The bacterial, yeast, and mold isolates seem to have remained consistent over the course of the investigation and may serve as markers of the quality of the microbiota. Combining processing techniques like chemical preservatives with pasteurization, concentration with carbonation, and controlled microbiological environments like freezer and refrigeration temperatures can result in a safe microbial load and a decrease in contamination of orange juice and other fruit juices.