MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY AND QUALITY OF SOME CHEWING GUMS DISTRIBUTED IN ALBANIAN MARKET

Chewing gums and other substances with similar ingredients are used since early by the consumers in all the world. Modern forms are part of nowadays consume in Albania as well. Chewing gums help to have a fresh breath, to remove food particles and different microorganisms which cause unpleasant breath and teeth damages. Sugar-free gums has been shown to reduce cavities and plaque. The consumers are not so careful with their use, they keep them with themselves opened, in their pockets or bags, in homes, or use them after a long period of time since purchase. They can be found everywhere in small markets, even outdoors ones with the risk to transmit the environmental contamination to these products. The use of chewing gums is a problem in schools because children and students often dispose of them inappropriately. A public education is needed to encourage responsible use and disposal as well. They are distributed in the markets respecting all the rules of their packaging, preservation and labeling; so the risk of their use is related principally with the consumer behaviors. The attention related to the microbiological safety and quality of these products is the objective of this study. Some known brands have been microbiologically analyzed in order to complete a data base related with the presence of different microbial strains explored from products and their packaging. The determination of the total number of the presented microbial strains was included in the plan of the experimental work. Discovered environmental contaminants were taxonomically studied and Bacillus megatherium, Chrysobacterium spp. Aspergillus spp. and some Penicillium strains were observed. Synthetic and natural antimicrobials were used to reduce their presence and to study their behavior.