Total bacterial counts and pesticide residues in edible flowers on the market were investigated. Results obtained were evaluated food hygienically. Only 20% of total samples were judged to be fresh from the total viable counts: In 55% of the samples the detected bacteria were 10^6/g or more. When these edible flowers are used in a menu, the huge number of bacteria will be mixed with other foodstuffs. Many samples were, therefore, to be treated with food hygienic caution. Within the 12 kinds of pesticides analyzed, more than one drugs were detected from every flower sample. Pesticides of higher densities were detected especially in Bell Rose. As the serving size of an edible flower isn\u27t so large, detecting pesticide below the formally accepted residual limit seems not so harmful to our health. When the detected amount corresponded to more than 10 times the residual limit, the flower seemed to be not so safe food hygienically. From these results, we indicate the necessity of these observations to be continued, and of careful handing of edible flowers as a foodstuff of various menus
