Behavior of Aeromonas hydrophila in bottled mineral waters

The growth and survival of Aeromonas hydrophila in three types of natural m ineral waters were investigated. Mineral waters with different levels of mi neral content (low, medium, and high) were experimentally contaminated with A. hydrophila, stored at different temperatures (10 degreesC and 20 degree sC), and analyzed at intervals over a 60-day period. Water samples that wer e not experimentally contaminated were investigated for indigenous A. hydro phila. The results confirmed that A. hydrophila may occur naturally in mine ral waters and showed that the level of mineral content, temperature, lengt h of storage, and, in some cases, the type of container used may favor the growth of A. hydrophila. The greatest proliferation was observed in water w ith a low mineral content stored in PET bottles at 10 degreesC, in which A. hydrophila peaked at day 28 (4.47 +/- 0.01 log CFU/100 ml). At 20 degreesC , the same load was observed at day 60. The presence of high densities of A . hydrophila in bottled mineral water can constitute a risk for some groups of consumers, such as elderly and immunocompromised persons.