a b s t r a c t
The present work's aimwas to study the microbial quality of minimally processed apples commercialized
in Portugal. Sixty eight samples of fresh-cut apple were analyzed before their best-before date in 2011
and 2012 for aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms, total coliforms, lactic-acid bacteria
(LAB), coagulase-positive staphylococci and fungi. The parameters of food safety studied were Cronobacter
sakazakii, Salmonella spp. and Listeria sp. Samples were analyzed according to standard methodologies
and using Chromocult Agar for coliforms and Escherichia coli. The yeasts were identified by
restriction analysis of the ITS-5.8S rDNA-region and 26S rDNA partial sequencing.
The mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms ranged from 3.3 to 8.9 and from 4.9 to 8.4 log CFU/
g, respectively. Coliforms were detected in all the samples and staphylococci in 5.8% of them. LAB
numbers varied from 2.8 to 8.7 and fungi (yeast and molds) from 3.6 to 7.1 log CFU/g. The most common
yeasts were Candida sake and Pichia fermentans followed by Hanseniaspora spp., Candida spp., Meyerozyma
guilliermondii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Cryptococcus spp. and the psychrotrophic Cystofilobasidium
infirmominiatum. Foodborne bacteria and opportunistic pathogenic yeasts were not
detected in the apples studied. The results obtained respected the European Commission regulation
regarding criteria of food hygiene and safety.