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Conditions that regulate the growth of moulds inoculated into bottled mineral water

Maria Victoria Criado1, Virginia E Fernández Pinto, Alicia Badessari

  • 1Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina. vickycriado@yahoo.com

International Journal of Food Microbiology
|April 6, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Storage time significantly impacts mould growth in bottled water, with visible colonies forming faster in older bottles. This is linked to nutrient migration from plastic packaging, potentially posing health risks due to mycotoxin production.

Area of Science:

  • Food Microbiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Polymer Science

Background:

  • Mould contamination in bottled water is a concern.
  • Previous studies isolated specific mould strains from bottled water.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of storage conditions on mould spore growth in bottled water.
  • To assess the role of PET packaging and storage duration on mould proliferation.
  • To evaluate the toxicological potential of isolated mould strains.

Main Methods:

  • Inoculation of Alternaria alternata, Penicillium citrinum, and Cladosporium cladosporioides spores into mineral water in PET bottles.
  • Incubation under varied storage conditions (temperature, illumination, storage time).
  • Analysis of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) concentration and mycotoxin production in vitro.

Main Results:

  • Storage time was the most critical factor influencing mould growth.
  • Visible mould colonies appeared in 1 month in 5-month-old bottles versus 5 months in freshly filled bottles.
  • A 20% increase in di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) was observed in stored bottles, suggesting nutrient migration from PET.
  • Penicillium citrinum produced citrinin mycotoxin in mineral water.

Conclusions:

  • Extended storage of bottled water in PET containers promotes mould growth.
  • Nutrient leaching from PET packaging, including plasticizers like DBP, supports mould proliferation.
  • The presence of mycotoxins like citrinin from Penicillium citrinum poses a potential health risk to consumers.

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