Asian Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Fresh fruit juices from cafes and restaurants are a popular beverage in Narsingdi city of Bangladesh during summer season. Food-borne outbreaks may arise from them since harmful germs from the unsanitary surroundings of the food preparation area easily infect them. The purpose of the current study was to identify the microbiological characteristics of various fruit juices and sauces consumed in different cafes and restaurants in Narsingdi City, Bangladesh. The detection of total viable bacterial load, total fungi count, coliforms, and some other pathogenic bacteria was checked in a total of thirty-nine juice and sauce samples, specifically of six categories of juices (orange, lemon, pineapple, sugarcane, papaya, and apple) and three categories of sauces (tomato sauce, mustard sauce, and tamarind sauce). Total viable bacteria in these samples ranged from 10⁴ to 10⁸ CFU/mL. Sixty percent of the samples had total coliforms (including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp.), all of which alarmingly exceeded the conventional bacteriological limits (1.0×10⁴ CFU/mL) advised for fruit juices. Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were identified as harmful microorganisms. Standard biochemical, microscopic, and cultural assays were used to identify each of these bacterial isolates. Sulfomethoxazole-trimethoprim, Ciprofloxacin, Tetracycline, Nalidixic Acid, Gentamicin, Ceftriazone, Ampicillin, and Netilmicin were among the drugs against which the isolates showed variable levels of drug resistance. The microbiological evaluation of these well-known ready-to-drink goods is therefore constantly required; otherwise, they could pose health risks.