MICROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF AEROBIC MESOPHILES AND COLIFORMS IN COOKED RICE

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is a sporoform bacteria commonly found in small amounts in some foods such as rice. However, after cooking, under certain inadequate cooling and refrigeration conditions, the surviving spores can rapidly reproduce and produce enterotoxins, making the food a potential cause of food poisoning. In the present study, samples of cooked rice were collected in four different food sale kiosk: two in the district of Penonome and two in the district of Aguadulce, Coclé province, for five weeks, determining the presence of Bacillus cereus in this food. For the confirmation of the suspicious colonies, different biochemical confirmatory tests were carried out such as API 50 CH and API 20 E, sowing of the suspicious colonies on blood agar and the catalase and oxidase tests; obtaining positive results in each one of them. In addition to evaluating the growth of this pathogen in MYP selective agar for it, indicator microorganisms such as aerobic Mesophiles, E. coli and Coliforms were considered, obtaining results for Bacillus cereus above the parameters established in the Peruvian Standard R/M N°615 (2003)-SA/DM, but below levels that can cause food poisoning. For aerobic Mesophiles, the count obtained was below the maximum acceptance limits established by the NTS No. 071 MINSA/DGSA-V.01 (2008), for the case of E. coli/Coliforms, growth was not amplified in any of the samples.