Bacteria counts
Sir, —Dr Sumner really has me worried. Since there can be up to 10 million bacteria per square inch on a normal unwashed cabbage leaf, let alone a bug-laden lamington, am I in danger of my life eating cole slaw? And if the bacteria are too numerous to count (as he found in some delicacies) does this mean there is no delicacy left, that it is all bacteria? Or does it mean that he didn’t dilute his sample sufficiently before counting? And if he has found indicators of sewage or disease pollution, the Escherichia coli, why has he kept this secret? I suspect some vast bacterial conspir-acy.—-Yours, etc., HOWARD DENGATE. .April 20, 1978. [Dr J. L. Sumner replies: “Your correspondent is correct when he says that we did not dilute the samples sufficiently before counting. For take-away foods we hoped to find bacteria levels below 10,000 per gram. We were therefore amazed when levels frequently exceded 10 million per gram. There was evidence of faecal contamination in many samples. We have not kept this a secret. Your correspondent, and anyone else interested, is welcome to attend a course on the handling of take-away foods which is to be held at the Christchurch Technical Institute on May 23 and May 24.”]
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Press, 29 April 1978, Page 14
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212Bacteria counts Press, 29 April 1978, Page 14
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