METHODS FOR DETECTING Bacillus cereus CONTAMINATION IN DAIRY PRODUCTS - A FOOD SAFETY PERSPECTIVE

Every microbial environment starts with an initial contamination from microorganisms present in soil, water, and atmospheric dust. The unique characteristics of each environment ultimately dictate which species or types of associations become dominant. Consequently, microorganisms with high resistance to inhibitory or lethal factors often thrive in food products, on various surfaces, and on machinery and equipment. Bacillus cereus serves as a prime example, widely distributed in nature and considered an opportunistic pathogenic species. Research conducted between 2021 and 2023 focused on several categories of milk powder samples collected from sales networks in Calarasi County, Ilfov County, and Arges County. These categories included skimmed milk powder with 1% fat, milk powder with 26% fat, organic milk powder with 26% fat, milk powder for children aged 4-5 years, and of milk powder for infants aged 9-12 months. The analysis of these five products involved two categories of methods: confirmation on MYP agar, blood agar, and real-time PCR testing for the amplification and detection of specific Bacillus cereus DNA. Identification of species within the B. cereus group was conducted using specific tests