## 4 Discussion  
Consumer interest in food quality and safety is considered to be one of the main reasons for the growing demand for organically grown food, which consumers perceive as healthier and safer [24]. Previous research proved that it is possible to apply organic raw materials to develop the product intended for physically active people (high protein content) with high nutritional value and acceptable, high sensory quality [7]. However, a disturbing presence of _B. cereus_ has been observed during storage. Organic products seem to be susceptible to microbial contamination compared to conventional products on the same level [25]. Therefore, broader research was needed to evaluate the safety of the product and to set possible storage times. For this reason, the presented study was planned to investigate more deeply the safety characteristic of high-protein bars made from organic raw materials. The composition of high-protein bars determined by [PERSON] et al. [7] was modified to combat a few safety dilemmas revealed during the experiment and for wider use of raw materials native to Poland. The reformulation consisted of removing coconut flour and replacing it with oat flakes. Dried dates were replaced with prunes and/or apricots. Cane sugar was replaced with honey. Due to the microbiological contamination of raw materials, as in pumpkin seeds among others, the production process was modified. The change concerned the use of heat treatment, i.e., roasting of pumpkin seeds, oat and spelt flakes as well as soaking prunes and/or apricots in hot water to reduce the number of microorganisms in the finished product. Insects present in food can have both direct and indirect effects on human health. The direct effect is the contamination of food with arthropod fragments as well as related contaminants e.g., allergenic, carcinogenic or microorganisms. The most significant indirect effect is that their presence can change the storage microenvironment, making durable products suitable for the rapid growth of fungi and other microorganisms present in the environment [26]. The tested products during storage were not infested with pests and it can be concluded that all food safety characteristics were connected with the natural microbial content and its activity or chemical changes during storage. Regarding microbiological quality, the changes implemented in the bar's production did not considerably lower the TVC in the reformulated bars. However, in comparison with the pumpkin bars used in the [PERSON] et al. [7] study (TVC approx. 4.6 log CFU/g), the determined value in the present study was lower (TVC approx. 4.06 log CFU/g) and justifies the introduction of thermal processes during the manufacture of the bars. It is worth noting that products manufactured under industrial conditions usually contain a higher number of microorganisms compared to laboratory-scale production, due to the more diverse microbial environment and a greater number of people involved in the production. The proof of that is the higher number of Enterobacteriaceae family in tested products (about 4 log CFU/g) (Figure 1) whereas in the bars obtained from laboratory production the count was around 2 log CFU/g [7]. Other researchers found varied data regarding the TVC number in similar products i.e., in bars made from oat and corn flakes with brown rice and dried fruits detected the TVC on the level of about 2.08 log CFU/g [27]. [PERSON] et al. [28] counted aerobes on the level of 8.9 log CFU/g in the pulse-based snack bars with cereals and dried fruits addition. Fungi cause major spoilage of foods and feedstuffs. Certain environmental factors can induce the production of secondary metabolites i.e., mycotoxins. Contamination of food and feed by mycotoxins is considered one of the most serious food safety problems in the world because these fungal metabolites can be teratogenic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and immunosuppressive, and can cause serious damage to animal and human health [29; 30]. In the study of [PERSON] et al.