Pesticides and Alcohol in Imported and Domestic Wine Sold in Connecticut.

Pesticides not allowed for use in the United States may be applied in foreign countries on grapes destined for wine production. There is concern that imported wine may contain residues of these pesticides. Of 51 wines tested from five foreign countries, 17 samples contained residues of Procymidone, a fungicide not allowed on crops in the United States. Three of 18 wines tested contained residues of Carbaryl at concentrations below the allowable tolerance for grapes. Twelve wines from the United States contained no detectable residues of Procymidone. The alcohol content of all wines met label claims.

Pesticides in Orange Juice Sold in Connecticut.

There is concern that orange juice from foreign countries may contain residues of pesticides not allowed in the United States. Of 17 orange juices examined, 15 listed Brazil as the source of all or part of the juice used. Six samples contained residues. All pesticides found were allowed for use in the United States, and all residues were well below EPA allowable tolerances in oranges.

Herbicides in Pooled Raw Milk in Connecticut.

Pooled raw milk samples collected in Connecticut were analyzed for the herbicides 2,4-D, Atrazine, Simazine, and Alachlor. For 2,4-D, 25.6% of the samples had no detectable level, for Atrazine 7.7%, and for Alachlor 10.3%. None contained Simazine. Concentrations averaged 0.021 ppm for 2,4-D, 0.0075 for Atrazine, and 0.0067 for Alachlor. No sample exceeded the EPA tolerance for any of the herbicides. Analysis was by enzyme immunoassay.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Food: A Review.

Literature published from 1970 through mid-1984 on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of foods, including fish, dairy products, packaged and processed food and human milk, is reviewed. Sources of the contamination are discussed. The reports show that although PCBs are no longer manufactured in this country, large quantities have entered the environment. High concentrations in sediments of some streams and lakes are a continuing source of PCB entry into the food chain via the fish caught in these waters. Accidental leakage and spills from electrical transformers containing PCBs, which are in use, can also be a source of contamination. Other sources of PCB contamination such as silo sealants and packaging materials manufactured from carbonless paper containing PCBs have been essentially eliminated.

Plant Contamination by PCBs from Amended Soils.

Plants accumulated PCBs (Aroclors) from soil amended with lake sediment contaminated with Aroclors 1248, 1254, and 1260. Uptake into different parts of vegetable plants was investigated in the field by growing beets ( Beta vulgaris L .), turnips ( Brassica rapa L .) and beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L .). In beets and turnips, leaves accumulated larger concentrations of PCBs than the roots. In beans, leaves and pods contained higher concentrations than the stems, while only low concentrations were detected in the seeds. Bioaccumulation of Aroclors by plants was in the following order: Aroclor 1248 > 1254 > 1260. Relative to their concentration in the soil, the lower chlorinated PCB isomers which are more soluble in water and more volatile were more abundant in plants then the higher chlorinated isomers.

Keeping Quality and Flavor, and Microorganisms, Proteases and Lipases in Raw Cow and Goat Milk at Collection and After Storage.

Raw cow and goat milks for retail sale in Connecticut were examined at collection and after storage at 4.4 and 7.2°C for 7 d for keeping quality, flavor, microorganisms, protein degradation on storage, and protease and lipase activity. Some milks were bottled at the farm, others were placed in containers supplied by the customer. Goat milk retained a satisfactory flavor significantly longer than cow milk. There was no correlation of keeping quality with any microbial count made at collection except for number of coliform bacteria. Significant differences were found in enzyme activity and protein degradation between cow and goat milk. No significant difference was found between milk bottled at the farm and that collected in sterile containers. Over 82% of raw milk samples met the 30,000 per ml state standard for total aerobic count (SPC) and 72% met the coliform standard of 50 per ml.

Relation of Code Dates to Retail Milk Supply.

Milk from major dairies in Connecticut was examined three times over a 2-year period for flavor and bacterial counts immediately after bottling and after storage at 40 and 45°F to the end of the code period. The first two test periods were when processors established their own code periods which ranged from 7 to 14 d, but most were 9 to 12 d. The third test period was after a uniform code period of 10 d became effective, and some processors petitioned for an increase to 12 d. There was no marked improvement over the 2-year test period in keeping quality for milk stored at 40 (4.4°C) or 45°F (7.2°C) to the code date (last day of sale). In each test, all samples met bacterial standards after bottling but most did not meet the standard after refrigerated storage to the end of the code period. The amount of milk available to consumers meeting keeping quality and bacterial standards was calculated. In each test, after storage at 40°F over 90% of milk available for sale met keeping quality standards, but only 28 to 42% met bacterial standards. After storage at 45°F, 55 to 87% of milk available for sale met the keeping quality standard but less than 10% met the bacterial standard. Conclusions were that increasing the length of the code period would not be advantageous to consumers.

Comparison of Code Date Reliability for Freshly Bottled Whole, Lowfat and Nonfat Fluid Milk.

Whole, lowfat, and nonfat fluid milk samples were collected from dairy plants on the day of bottling and each set of the three types of milk was processed from the same raw milk supply. Bacterial analyses for total aerobic count and for specific degradative types were made immediately after collection. Samples were also stored at 1.7, 5.6 and 10.0 C to test for flavor deterioration. Total count of aerobic bacteria and of specific degradative types did not differ significantly among the three types of milk. Organoleptic analysis was made periodically to determine milk quality (flavor score) and defect (flavor). At any of the storage temperatures the keeping quality (days required from bottling to reach a flavor score of < 36) was unrelated to the length of time between bottling and last day of sale (code date) assigned by the processor. At 5.6- and 10.0-C storage, more whole milk samples were criticized for more serious flavor defects (e.g. putrid) than for the less serious ones (e.g. lacking freshness) found in the lower fat milks. Keeping quality of all three types of milks at 1.7- and 5.6-C storage could be predicted from keeping quality determined at 10.0 C with equations previously developed for whole milk.

Organoleptic Examination of Pears from Trees Infused with Oxytetracycline to Remit Symptoms of Pear Decline.

One year after trees had been infused post-harvest with oxytetracycline (OTC) to remit symptoms of pear decline, pears were harvested and tasted. In four sessions, the panel of tasters discerned between pears from trees treated with OTC and pears from untreated diseased trees. In three of the sessions, the fruit from treated trees was preferred over fruit from untreated diseased trees.

Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria in Raw Milk and Ability of Some to Transfer Antibiotic Resistance to Escherichia coli.

Raw milk samples were examined for number and percentage of bacteria resistant to seven antibiotics: penicillin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B sulfate, tetracycline and streptomycin sulfate. A significant negative correlation was found between the total aerobic count of the milk sample and the concentration (above 5 or 10% of the total count) of bacteria in each milk resistant to each of the antibiotics tested. Three of 42 gram-negative isolates were capable of transferring their antibiotic resistance to Escherichia coli . Substantial numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in raw milk were found and some survived pasteurization. Inspection of farms failed to indicate a relationship between farm practices or use of antibiotics in feed or as pharmaceuticals and number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the raw milk.

Relation of Code Dates to Quality of Milk Sold in Retail Markets.

Milk collected at retail markets and in schools in Connecticut in 1970-71, 1974, and 1975 was examined for flavor quality, temperature at collection, code date (last day product is intended to be offered for sale), and age of sample (days from bottling). The relationships between quality and age of sample and the processor's code date were tested. Regression analysis of 1975 samples showed that, on the average, processors overestimated shelf life by about 2 days, but this overestimate varied from 0 to 7 days for individual dairies. Although the temperature of samples collected in 1974 and 1975 was lower than in the 1970-71 sampling, there was no diminution in the percentage of samples of unsatisfactory quality.

Keeping Quality of Pasteurized Milk for Retail Sale Related to Code Date, Storage Temperature, and Microbial Counts.

Keeping quality of milk samples collected in original containers from fillers and stored at 1.7, 5.6, and 10.0 C remained organoleptically acceptable, on the average, 17.5, 12.1, and 6.9 days, respectively. Samples were tested for specific groups of bacteria at collection and when the milk became unacceptable (flavor score < 36). In addition to a total aerobic count the specific groups included pseudomonads, lipolytic, proteolytic, acid-producing, and coliform bacteria, and lipolytic and proteolytic pseudomonads. Keeping quality at any storage temperature was unrelated to the manufacturer's code date (last day product is to be sold). There was a significant correlation between keeping quality at 10.0-C storage and the other two storage temperatures, suggesting a practical test to measure keeping quality at the lower temperatures. Microbial counts, made at bottling and when the sample became unacceptable, were not consistently related to the time required for milk to become unacceptable at any storage temperature. When samples were stratified by flavor defect, certain microbial tests were significantly related to keeping quality.