Identification of Microbiological Contaminant and Sodium Cyclamate in Iced Tea Sold in Street Vendors

Iced tea is a popular beverage in Indonesia typically prepared by brewing dried tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) with hot water and adding ice cubes, often sweetened with sugar. This study aims to evaluate the presence of microbial contaminants and the possible use of sodium cyclamate in large iced tea servings sold by street vendors around Surakarta. A total of 25 samples were collected using purposive simple random sampling. Microbiological tests were conducted to determine Total Plate Count (TPC), total coliforms, total Staphylococci, and total Salmonella-Shigella contamination. The highest recorded values were as follows: TPC at 8.58 x 102 CFU/ml, coliforms at 419 CFU/100 ml, Staphylococci at 529 CFU/100 ml, and Salmonella-Shigella at 262 CFU/ 100 ml. These results indicate that the microbiological quality of iced tea sold on the streets of Surakarta does not meet the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for safe consumption. Therefore, there is a need for increased awareness and hygiene training for vendors to ensure proper sanitation practices in the preparation and sale of iced tea.