BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF VACUUM STORED FLOWER BEE POLLEN

摘要

Water content, water activity (Аw) and mean microbiological characteristics were determined in fresh and dried flower bee pollen collected from apiary from North east region in Bulgaria. Higher microbial counts were established for fresh than for dried bee pollen after long-time (1 and 2-years) vacuum-packed cold storage (0-4 oС and - 18 oС). It was found contamination with Pantoea spp., Prot. mirabilis, Citrob. freundii, Serratia fonticola, Raoultella planticola/ornithinolytica, S. hominis (subspecies hominis), S. sciuri (subspecies sciuri), Flavimonas orizihabitans, Achromobacter denitrificans, Arthrobacter globiformis, Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus, B. pumilis and Enterococcus faecalis in the dried flower bee pollen intended for human consumption. Fresh bee pollen that is an intermediate product not intended for human consumption besides these contained Prot.vulgaris, E.coli, Staph. epidermidis and B. subtilis.