Seasonal and Market Group Variation in the Microbiological Quality of Seasoned Soybean Sprouts

Mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts were measured and compared for seasoned soybean sprouts produced in different seasons and sold in different market types. Very significant differences in microbial counts were found among seasoned soybean sprouts produced in different seasons (winter, spring, and summer) and among different market types (a traditional market, discount store, and department store). However, there was no significant difference among the stores within each market group. The interactions were significant at a 1% significance level. The variance of summer counts was much lower than spring and winter counts. Discount and department stores showed a higher variation in microbial counts than traditional markets. The microbial counts differed substantially from season to season in the same market group (summer > spring > winter) except between spring and summer in traditional markets. The microbial loads in the winter and spring seasons of seasoned soybean sprouts in traditional markets were clearly higher than in other market groups, while discount stores had the highest microbial count in summer.