Microbiological status and antifungal properties of irradiated spices

The bacterial counts of commercially available species were found to be in the range of 10/sup 2/-10/sup 7//g, whereas the fungal counts varied between 10/sup 2/ and 10/sup 3//g. Among the five spices studied, pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg mace had a high microbial load compared to cinnamon and clove. Exposure to ..gamma..-irradiation in the dose range of 7.5-10 kGy was adequate to sterilize all the spices. The essential oil of clove and cinnamon exhibited inhibitory properties against aflatoxin-producing aspergilli. ..gamma..-Irradiation did not affect fungal inhibitory principles present in clove, though marginal reduction was observed in that of cinnamon.