Alterations in the major heterotrophic bacterial populations isolated from a still bottled mineral water

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Abstract
The heterotrophic bacterial population of a bottled mineral water stored in returnable glass bottles and in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bottles at room temperature was studied over 9-12 months. The plate counts in R2A medium incubated at 22.degree. and 37.degree. C were low initially, increasing to 104-105 cfu/ml within a few days of bottling. The number of bacteria recovered at 22.degree. C from PVC bottles was fairly constant during the storage period, but the population isolated at 27.degree. C decreased markedly after storage for 1 year. The major components of the population were Pseudomonas strains, one of which was identified as Pseudomonas vesicularis. Major changes took place during storage; two groups of bacteria (B and C) were dominant initially, but during the latter period of storage other groups (F, G and H) increased in number.