What Are You Drinking, TEA

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What Are You Drinking, TEA?

• Tira J. Robinson
• Junior Biology Health Science Major
• Tennessee Technological University
• April 27, 2005

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Project Summary

• To see what type of bacteria and e-coli grows in
  different teas
• To see how many coliforms grow from tea samples
• Take several different tea samples and run tests
• Take a count of how many coliforms were present
  at the end of the experiment.
• Give data and charts on results

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Introduction

• There have been several media reports on the
  health hazards of fecal coliform contamination of
  restaurant brewed iced tea ( Doyle 1996).
• In January the CDC issued an alert stating that
  ice tea can breed bacteria if it sits out all day
  (Kapner 1996).
• There may be microbes, but they probably are of
  the relatively harmless variety that naturally
  cling to tea leaves (Nutrition 1996).
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
  which investigated the reports about iced tea,
  explained that theoretically tea could transmit
  disease if other bacteria survived the brewing
  (Iced 1996).
• The large numbers of relatively benign bacteria
  that showed up probably occurred because of lax
  sanitation of restaurant tea dispensers
  (Nutrition 1996).

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Objective Statement

• The objective for this experiment is to se what
  type of bacteria and microorganisms grow in
  different tea samples, if in they do, whether
  e-coli or metallic sheen is present.

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Hypothesis Statement

• I hypothesize that microorganisms do grow in tea
  samples due to the tea leaves and or the amount
  of time tea is left sitting.

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Methods Materials

• Pour Plate method on TSA Endo Agar Plates
• Each plate will have a different measurement of
  .1, .5, 1 mL
• Coliform count
• Incubation of the plates for growth
• Tea Samples from 3 different restaurants
• Data will be recorded in tables
• This experiment will be administered by Dr. Goss

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Results

• Endo Agar Plate Results
• After incubation I found in restaurant A1 that it
  contained metallic sheen with fecal colifroms,
  which is e-coli.
• All of restaurant A had grown mold
• B1 also contained metallic sheen and fecal
  coliforms.
• C1 only contained metallic sheen

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Results Cont.

• TSA plate results
• All of the 3 restaurants contained fermentation
• See Chart For More Details

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Data
Endo Agar Plates
Comments A1 contained metallic sheen with fecal
coliforms. A2 contained only fecal coliforms
(e-coli). All of A had mold. B1 contained
metallic sheen and fecal coliforms. C1 only
contained metallic sheen. TSA Plates
Comments All restaurant samples contained
fermentation
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Pictures
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Literature Cited

• Doyle, Michael. Food Technology. Fecal conditions
  in tea whats the problem. Oct. 1996 v50 n10
  p104(1)
• Environmental Nutrition. Iced tea scare a tempest
  in a teapot. June 1996 v19 n6 p8(1)
• Environmental Nutrition. Iced tea scare a tempest
  in a teapot. June 1996 v19 n6 p8(2)
• Kapner, Suzanne. Iced-tea brewhaha CDC says
  drink OK. June 1996 v30 n23 p1(2)
• Marcinkowski, Victoria. Coffee, tea, or bacteria?
  Jan. 2003 v59 i8 p6(2)

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Conclusion

• There are bacteria present in tea.
• For the most part it isnt harmful
• Some of the causes can be from the tea leaves and
  or the time it has sat in high temperatures.
• The growth of e-coli can be harmful
• You can keep drinking tea!!!!!

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Acknowledgements

• I would like to thank Dr. Goss for her time and
  help
• A special thank you to Cara Sanders for an
  outstanding hand.
• A special thanks to Kimberly Tuggle for being a
  great partner.
• Thank you Dr. Morgan for all the help

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ANY QUESTIONS????

• Please Dont ASK ANY!!!!!!!!