COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE MICROBIAL LOAD OF PLAIN AND FLAVOURED ICE CREAM

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Dept. of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Vet. Medicine Cairo University

Abstract

Eighty random samples of ice cream (20 each of plain, fruity, nutty and chocolate ice cream) collected from different localities in Giza and Cairo cities, were microbiologically examined to investigate and compare the effect of some natural added material on its microbial load. The obtained results in this study revealed that aerobic plate count were determined in different types of examined samples with a mean value ranged from 1.1x105 ± 1x105 to 5.8x105 ± 1.6x105, Enterobacteriaceae was detected in the different examined samples with a mean value ranged from 3.2x102 ± 0.8 x102, Coliforms counts (MPN) in different types were present in percentage of 35, 60, 45 and 25% for plain, nutty, fruity and chocolate ice cream respectively. Staphylococci was present in different kinds of examined ice cream with mean values ranges from 8x102±0.48x102 to 1.5x304 ±1.7x103 while pseudomonas and Aeromonas were present in the examined samples with percentage ranges from 20 to 45%. Different species of Aeromonas could be identified in different percentage (A.caviae, A .hinshawi , A .hydrophila). Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli could be isolated from plain and fruity ice cream examined samples only. Yersenia and Salmonella were failed to be detected in all examined samples of ice cream while Listeria species could be isolated in different percentage from the plain and fruity ice cream examined samples only. The effect of addition of some types of natural materials on the microbial quality of ice cream, as well as public health importance of the detected microorganisms had been discussed.

Main Subjects