Incidence of multiple drug resistant Bacillus cereus in some popular snacks and sweets sold in Kolkata city, India

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Original Article

Author Details : Jyotismita Khasnabis, Paulomi Adhikari, Deblina Chowdhury, Chandan Rai, Arindam Roy

Volume : 4, Issue : 1, Year : 2017

Article Page : 14-19

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Abstract

Background: Snacks and sweets from road side eateries are cheap sources of nutrition but occasionally cause numerous public health hazards most importantly gastroenteritis. Various factors including poor infrastructure to prepare foods, post-preparation contamination during storage and handling as well as unhygienic surroundings may contaminate these foods with pathogenic bacteria. Bacillus cereus is one of the common and important food borne pathogens causing spoilage to the foods and producing gastroenteritis to the consumers. This study was carried out to enumerate B. cereus and assess their spoilage potentiality and antibiotic resistance pattern.
Methods: Standard plate count was performed using plate count agar while presumptive B. cereus was isolated in Bacillus cereus agar base supplemented with polymyxin B selective supplement and egg yolk emulsion. Confirmation as B. cereus was done by morphological, biochemical and physiological methods. Confirmed isolates were tested for extracellular enzyme production and antibiotic resistance pattern.
Result: Standard plate count exceeded 10¹⁰ cfu g^-1 and B. cereus count was positive in 57% of the samples. All the 43 B. cereus isolates produced amylase and caseinase and were multiple drug resistant. None produced lipase.
Conclusion: Presence of B. cereus with spoilage potential and multiple drug resistance require good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and good hygienic practices (GHPs) during food production and storage.

Keywords: B. Cereus, Snacks, Sweets, Antibiotic Resistance, Kolkata

 

How to cite : Khasnabis J, Adhikari P, Chowdhury D, Rai C, Roy A, Incidence of multiple drug resistant Bacillus cereus in some popular snacks and sweets sold in Kolkata city, India. Indian J Microbiol Res 2017;4(1):14-19

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