Journal of Advances in Food Science & Technology

Microbial contamination in commercially available soft drinks has become a growing public health concern due to improper handling, inconsistent hygiene practices, and inadequate storage conditions. The study evaluated microbial contamination in widely available aerated and non-aerated soft drinks. Serial dilutions (10⁻¹ to 10⁻³) of various brands were inoculated onto Nutrient Agar and Potato Dextrose Agar to detect bacterial and fungal growth, respectively, and incubated at 37°C with counts recorded at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Bacterial colony counts ranged from 58 to 138 CFU/mL, and fungal counts ranged from 10–56 CFU/mL, increasing with incubation time. Non-aerated soft drinks exhibited higher contamination levels than aerated samples. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed statistically significant differences between beverage types for both bacterial (F = 11.39) and fungal counts (F = 18.72, p < 0.05). These findings indicate potential lapses in manufacturing hygiene and highlight the importance of stringent quality control and routine microbial monitoring to ensure consumer safety.