Regarding the total coliform (TC) counts, the levels found in the
samples analyzed herein were between 1.8 and 7.6 log CFU/g and E.
coli was not detected. According to the regulation of the European
Commission (EC, 2005, EC, 2007), the apple samples fulfilled the
microbiological criteria of food hygiene, as E. coli (hygienic criterion
for the manufacturing process) was not detected. In the study by
Viswanathan and Kaur (2001), total coliforms ranged from 4.3 to 7.9
log CFU/g in pineapples and between 4.5 and 6.9 log CFU/g in
watermelon samples. In the study conducted by