Abstract The management of microbial contamination is an important issue in spice trade. For common domesticated black pepper (Piper spp.), the control relies mainly on post-process decontamination. The aim of the present study was to examine microbial contamination of wild pepper (Piper borbonense) from Reunion Island and investigate the effects of different processing paths on microbiological quality and fungal ecology. The fresh pepper microbial counts ranged from 4.6 to 6.8 log CFUg−1. Blanching had a positive significant impact on the microbiological quality of pepper whereas sweating led to microbial growth up to 5 log CFUg−1 and, therefore, should be avoided. Microbial counts for dried pepper were 1.33 log CFUg−1; 3.37 log CFUg−1; 1.67 log CFUg−1 and 1.3 log CFUg−1 for coliforms, TAMB, Staphylococcus, yeast and moulds, respectively. Potential mycotoxin producers were identified from pepper samples but aflatoxins and ochratoxin A levels detected were far below the regulation limits. The initial diversity of fungal contamination is prominent for the final quality of pepper in contrast to the impact of processes. The revisited wet process (blanching then drying), which positively affected all microbial loads, could be a good option for pepper transformation.

中文翻译：

---

加工对留尼汪岛野胡椒（Piper borbonense）微生物安全性的影响

摘要 微生物污染的管理是香料贸易中的一个重要问题。对于常见的驯化黑胡椒（Piper spp.），控制主要依靠后处理去污。本研究的目的是检查来自留尼汪岛的野胡椒（Piper borbonense）的微生物污染，并研究不同加工途径对微生物质量和真菌生态的影响。新鲜辣椒微生物计数范围为 4.6 到 6.8 log CFUg-1。热烫对辣椒的微生物质量有显着的积极影响，而出汗会导致微生物生长达到 5 log CFUg-1，因此应该避免。干辣椒的微生物计数为 1.33 log CFUg−1；3.37 log CFUg−1；大肠菌群、TAMB、葡萄球菌、酵母和霉菌分别为 1.67 log CFUg-1 和 1.3 log CFUg-1。从辣椒样本中确定了潜在的霉菌毒素生产者，但检测到的黄曲霉毒素和赭曲霉毒素 A 水平远低于规定限值。与加工过程的影响相比，真菌污染的初始多样性对于辣椒的最终质量来说是突出的。重新审视的湿法工艺（热烫然后干燥）对所有微生物负荷产生积极影响，可能是辣椒转化的一个很好的选择。