Current microbiological status of `health foodsʹ sold in Canada

A follow-up survey was conducted across Canada to evaluate the current status of `health foodsʹ sold in Canada. A total of 1239 sample units of `health foodsʹ were analysed for a variety of bacteria, including aerobic colony counts (ACC), coliforms, aerobic and anaerobic sporeformers, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Results presented indicate that 16.8–18.4% of the `health foodsʹ exceed ACC guidelines, 16.0–17.8% exceeded coliform guidelines, 35.7% exceeded aerobic sporeformer guidelines, 81.4% exceeded anaerobic sporeformer guidelines, and 9% exceeded B. cereus guidelines. Some ACC were further identified and found to be opportunistic pathogens, including the genera Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus. It was concluded that more extensive surveillance of this industry by health officials is needed.