Effect of Quality System on the Microbiological Quality of Sudanese Carbonated Soft Drinks

Abstract

Three brands of non-alcoholic carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) from three plants in Khartoum, Sudan which were named A, B and C; were examined for their microbiological quality. Plants were selected according to their quality system ‘A being the highest C being the lowest’. Samples were analyzed for (TBC); Yeast and Mold, coliform bacteria and acid tolerant microorganisms using membrane filtration method.

Carbonated soft drinks from Plant C were the worst in microbiological qualitywith results in colony forming units ranging from 26 to 39 cfu/100 ml. for TBC, 9 to 34cfu/100 ml. for yeast, 1 to 5 cfu/100 ml. for mold and 30 to 59 cfu/100 ml. for acid tolerant microbes. These results were a reflection of the poor quality system of plant C.

Results from plant A and B showed Nil to 1 cfu/100 ml. for yeast, mold and acid tolerant bacteria. Nil to 3cfu/100 ml. for total bacterial count.

The study concluded to the significance of applying quality systems in the Sudanese soft drinks industry. Carbonated soft drinks plants A and B which were having quality systems such as ISO 22000:2005 and good manufacturing practice; were better in microbiological quality than the plant operating with no solid quality system.

Samples taken from the three plants generally didn’t comply with The Sudanese standard SSMO (250/2007) even though results were significantly better in plants A and B as shown by the statistical analysis of the microbiological results. Nevertheless, absence of coliform bacteria in samples taken from the three plants was the only criterion that was met in SSMO (250/2007).