[Evaluation of Microbial Spoilage in PET Bottled Soft Drinks by Direct Drinking]

In order to evaluate microbial growth in opened PET bottled soft drinks, inoculation tests were carried out using type and reference strains of various microorganisms. Microorganisms were inoculated into a 500 mL PET bottle containing 250 mL of various soft drinks followed by incubation until 1 week at 4, 25, 35℃ without shaking, and 35℃ with shaking. The microbial counts were measured over time and compared with the results of the previous study "Studies on Contaminants in Soft Drink"^2)-4). As a result, similar growth patterns were observed in the combination of tomato juice with Lactobacillus fermentum, sports drink with Candida albicans, and mineral water with Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, in green tea, mixed herb tea, orange juice and coffee with milk, the growth of microorganisms generally tended to be weaker than those of the previous studies. It was considered that components in the soft drinks inhibited the growth of the microorganisms. From the above results, the proliferative properties of type and reference strains in soft drinks were clearly different from the spoiled soft drinks isolates. The results in this study indicated that attention must be paid in the safety evaluation.