| Autor: |
Lin CS; 1 Department of Food Science., Yang CJ; 1 Department of Food Science., Chen PJ; 1 Department of Food Science., Liu KW; 1 Department of Food Science., Lin HP; 1 Department of Food Science., Lin CC; 1 Department of Food Science.; 2 Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsin-Chu, 300 Taiwan, Republic of China., Lee YC; 3 Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811 Taiwan, Republic of China., Cheng WC; 4 Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare Taipei, 115 Taiwan, Republic of China., Wei CI; 5 International Programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20904, USA., Tsai YH; 3 Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811 Taiwan, Republic of China. |
| Abstrakt: |
Bubble tea beverages ( n = 105) purchased from vendors in Taiwan were tested to determine their microbiological and chemical quality. Nearly half of the tested samples (48.6%, 51 of 105) had aerobic plate counts (APCs) higher than the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration guideline of 4.0 log CFU/mL, and 55 (52.4%) had coliform counts (most probable number [MPN]) higher than the 10 MPN/mL guideline. Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, sweeteners, preservatives, maleic acid, and coumarin were not detected in any sample. However, catechins were not detected to 188 mg/mL, and caffeine was 10.1 to 457.6 mg/mL. Bubble tea samples obtained from vendors in southern Taiwan had a mean APC of 2.6 log CFU/mL and a mean coliform count of 61.7 MPN/mL; these values were significantly lower ( P < 0.05) than those from samples collected from vendors in northern, eastern, or central Taiwan. Samples obtained from southern Taiwan had the highest mean catechin concentrations of 21.3 mg/mL ( P < 0.05). About 60% (63 of 105) of the bubble tea samples were not labeled with the origin of the tea leaves, which is in violation of Taiwanese food labeling regulations. In general, the bubble tea beverages tested had satisfactory microbial and chemical qualities. |
