Airborne microorganisms were enumerated in the various processing rooms of a commercial pork slaughter and further processing plant, every other month for a year. The room where sausage emulsions were prepared had higher airborne aerobic bacteria and yeast-mold counts than the other rooms sampled. The mean log aerobic bacteria counts per 0.028 m3 across months were 1.83, 1.83, 1.82, 1.71, 1.93, 2.48, 2.08, 1.62, and 0.95 for the evisceration, offal, carcass cooler, carcass breaking, curing cellar, sausage emulsion preparation, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms, respectively. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same rooms were 0.90, 0.88, 0.32, 1.06, 1.11, 1.25, 1.03, 1.01, and 0.97, respectively. Coliform counts did not exceed 5 per 0.028 m3 in any of the samplings and usually were totally absent from the sampled air except in the sausage stuffing and the offal rooms. The mean log aerobic counts per 0.028 m3 for all sampling locations combined were 1.86, 1.78, 1.78, 1.14, 1.84, and 1.93 for February, April, June, August, October, and December, respectively. The lowest count was during the August sampling, and may represent more outside air being introduced into the plant. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same months were 0.84, 0.53, 1.12, 0.91, 1.04, and 1.03, respectively. The mean temperatures (degrees C) of the processing rooms referred to above, across months, were 19.5 +/- 3.3; 19.4 +/- 4.1; 2.4 +/- 1.4; 11.0 +/- 2.5; 7.0 +/- 1.2; 10.0 +/- 2.1; 9.3 +/- 1.8; 9.6 +/- 1.1; and 10.6 +/- 0.8, respectively. Different (P less than 0.05) temperatures within processing rooms among months were noted for the carcass cooler, curing cellar, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms. These data provide baseline data for the airborne microorganisms in the various rooms in a pork processing establishment.

Airborne microorganisms were enumerated in the various processing rooms of a commercial pork slaughter and further processing plant, every other month for a year. The room where sausage emulsions were prepared had higher airborne aerobic bacteria and yeast-mold counts than the other rooms sampled. The mean log aerobic bacteria counts per 0.028 m3 across months were 1.83, 1.83, 1.82, 1.71, 1.93, 2.48, 2.08, 1.62, and 0.95 for the evisceration, offal, carcass cooler, carcass breaking, curing cellar, sausage emulsion preparation, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms, respectively. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same rooms were 0.90, 0.88, 0.32, 1.06, 1.11, 1.25, 1.03, 1.01, and 0.97, respectively. Coliform counts did not exceed 5 per 0.028 m3 in any of the samplings and usually were totally absent from the sampled air except in the sausage stuffing and the offal rooms. The mean log aerobic counts per 0.028 m3 for all sampling locations combined were 1.86, 1.78, 1.78, 1.14, 1.84, and 1.93 for February, April, June, August, October, and December, respectively. The lowest count was during the August sampling, and may represent more outside air being introduced into the plant. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same months were 0.84, 0.53, 1.12, 0.91, 1.04, and 1.03, respectively. The mean temperatures (degrees C) of the processing rooms referred to above, across months, were 19.5 +/- 3.3; 19.4 +/- 4.1; 2.4 +/- 1.4; 11.0 +/- 2.5; 7.0 +/- 1.2; 10.0 +/- 2.1; 9.3 +/- 1.8; 9.6 +/- 1.1; and 10.6 +/- 0.8, respectively. Different (P less than 0.05) temperatures within processing rooms among months were noted for the carcass cooler, curing cellar, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms. These data provide baseline data for the airborne microorganisms in the various rooms in a pork processing establishment.

Beach replenishment is a widely used method of controlling coastal erosion. To reduce erosional losses from wind, beach grasses are often planted on the replenishment sands. However, there is little information on the microbial populations in this material that may affect plant establishment and growth. The objectives of this research were to document changes in the populations of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi and other soil microorganisms in replenishment materials and to determine whether roots of transplanted beach grasses become colonized by beneficial microbes. The study was conducted over a 2-year period on a replenishment project in northeastern Florida. Three sampling locations were established at 1-km intervals along the beach. Each location consisted of three plots: an established dune, replenishment sand planted with Uniola paniculata and Panicum sp., and replenishment sand left unplanted. Fungal and bacterial populations increased rapidly in the rhizosphere of beach grasses in the planted plots. However, no bacteria were recovered that could fix significant amounts of N2. The VAM fungi established slowly on the transplanted grasses. Even after two growing seasons, levels of root colonization and sporulation were significantly below those found in the established dune. There was a shift in the dominant VAM fungi found in the planted zone with respect to those in the established dunes. The most abundant species recovered from theestablished dunes were Glomus deserticola, followed by Acaulospora scrobiculata and Scutellospora weresubiae. The VAM fungi that colonized the planted zone most rapidly were Glomus globiferum, followed by G. deserticola and Glomus aggregatum.

The addition of cattle slurry to the soil brings about an increase in the number of microorganisms of the carbon and sulphur cycles, though the levels attained do not exceed normal large population densities. The dynamics of the rise depend on the chemical and microbial composition of the slurry and the process by which it is incorporated into the soil. The aerobic cellulolytic and pectinolytic populations are favoured in the long term, whereas the numbers of anaerobic cellulolytics and amylolytics increase rapidly on slurry treatment only to fall sharply shortly thereafter, and in the case of amylolytics these processes result in a net fall in population density. The rise in microbial populations after slurry treatment is due more to the added numbers of microorganisms present in the slurry itself than to the substrate stimulating a population growth, but whereas added elemental sulphur oxidizers survive, anaerobic microorganisms such as sulphate reducers and anaerobic organic sulphur mineralizers die off after a short time. | We thank Sr J. Caballo for drawing the Figures for this paper. This work was supported by Comisión Asesora de Investigacion Cientifica y Técnica Grant 260 10-06 from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. | Peer reviewed

Effects of drainage, subsoiling, conventional and reduced tillage of hydromorphic black soils on the distribution of total microorganisms, ammonifiers, actinomycetes, free nitrogen-fixing bacteria, cellulolytic microorganisms and fungi have been investigated. The application of drainage had a stimulative effect upon the investigated microorganism groups, although great variability was observed in some years investigated. Significant effect was observed with the depth of drainage. Subsoiling, too, resulted in the increase of investigated microorganism groups. Combination of drainage and subsoiling did not show any proportional effect upon the increase of microorganism number. Presence of all microorganism groups was with reduced tillage.

Ultrafiltration (UF) is employed to preferentially pass a UF permeate containing flavor and aroma components while retaining spoilage microorganisms in a UF retentate. The UF retentate is then treated to inactivate a sufficient number of spoilage microorganisms to inhibit spoilage of the juice under storage conditions. A UF permeate containing flavor and aroma components is then recombined with the UF retentate to provide a food juice suitable for storage while avoiding the loss or alteration of the desirable flavor and aroma components of fresh juice encountered in conventional juice processing. If desired, spoilage enzymes can be retained in the UF retentate and inactivated to inhibit deterioration of desirable juice qualities. Further, the UF permeate can be further treated by reverse osmosis to concentrate flavor and aroma components in an RO retentate. If desired, the acid content of the juice can be reduced by passing a portion of the RO retentate of UF permeate through an ionic exchange column.