Processed Foods and Bacillus Cereus Poisoning

Abstract

Despite advances in food science and technology, foodborne illness is an important cause of morbidity as well mortality both in developing and under developing countries of the world. It is estimated that about one third of the population of industrialized nations are affected from foodborne diseases each year. Microbes can contaminate the food any stage of food chain. In many types of food and feed, the soil can be considered as the initial contamination source for spore forming organisms. Due to the complexity of the food chain, particular spore-forming species may encounter niches where proliferation occurs. This can happen on the primary production level, in the processing or in the final product .These proliferation steps enable the endospore former B. cereus, either to enter as a contaminant into a next step of the production chain or to provoke food quality or safety problems in the final product. It causes two types of food poisoning known as the emetic and the diarrhoeal types. The widespread distribution of B. cereus and the ability of the spores to survive long-term storage in food products, and the thermal resistance of spores help to explain that a wide variety of foods have been implicated in B. cereus foodborne illness outbreaks. It is not surprising that B. cereus is a major concern of the food industry, because it seems impossible to avoid its presence in foods completely. Therefore, sanitation, HACCP and good hygienic practices should be followed to prevent growth of this bacterium during food handling. In addition, it is recommended to monitor the presence of B.cereus in foodborne outbreaks.