Zn, Cu, and Fe Concentrations in Dehydrated Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Cloves, Oregano, and Basil) and the Correlation with the Microbial Counts of Listeria monocytogenes and Other Foodborne Pathogens García Galdeano, José María Villalón Mir, Marina Medina Martínez, José Vázquez Foronda, Lydia María Zamora Bustillos, Jessandra Gabriela Agil Abdalla, Mhmad Ahmad Fonseca Moor-Davie, Sofía María Navarro Alarcón, Miguel Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations Dehydrated herbs Microbial counts for foodborne pathogens Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations were measured in dehydrated herbs (thyme, rosemary, cloves, oregano, and basil) marketed in bulk or packaged in glass or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Microbial counts of Listeria monocytogenes and other five foodborne pathogens were also checked when herbs were previously added to the growing media. The highest mean concentrations were found in basil for Zn and Cu, and in thyme and basil for Fe; the lowest ones for these minerals were in cloves (p < 0.05). Basil had significantly higher microbial counts in five of the six foodborne pathogens studied (p < 0.05). Cloves have the best hygienic quality as there is no microbial growth of L. monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus cereus; they therefore could be used as a natural preservative in food. Aromatic herbs marketed in bulk showed a significantly higher microbial count (p < 0.05). Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations were positively correlated with microbial growth for L. monocytogenes, C. perfringens, B. cereus, and psychrophilic microorganisms (p < 0.05), so they could act as a growing factor for the foodborne pathogens. 2021-01-29T10:50:05Z 2021-01-29T10:50:05Z 2020-11-12 journal article García-Galdeano, J. M., Villalón-Mir, M., Medina-Martínez, J., Vázquez-Foronda, L. M., Zamora-Bustillos, J. G., Agil, A., ... & Navarro-Alarcón, M. (2020). Zn, Cu, and Fe Concentrations in Dehydrated Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Cloves, Oregano, and Basil) and the Correlation with the Microbial Counts of Listeria monocytogenes and Other Foodborne Pathogens. Foods, 9(11), 1658. [doi:10.3390/foods9111658] http://hdl.handle.net/10481/66127 10.3390/foods9111658 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ open access Atribución 3.0 España Mdpi