Microbial Contamination in Orange Juice

Present study aimed at the detection of microbial contamination present in commercially available and freshly prepared orange juice samples collected from different localities of Lahore, Pakistan. Results showed the presence of Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Bacillus spp. in commercially available orange juices which clearly demonstrates the unhygienic conditions of processing plants. In most localities, the freshly squeezed orange juices were hygienically very poor as bacterial loads on the whole were abnormally high. Based on the presence of Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Erwinia spp., Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp., Coliforms, Pseudomonas spp., Vibrio spp. and Leuconostoc spp. in fresh orange juices, it is concluded that juices in certain areas inside the city are highly impacted and unfit for human consumption. It is agreed that such type of contamination is the result of bad quality water used for dilution of juices, unhygienic surroundings and location of stalls by the side of a busy road with vehicular traffic or by the side of waste disposal and overcrowding.