Evaluation of Bacterial Contamination of Powdered Food Products, Pakistan

Abstract

Food contamination is a serious issue because infectious diseases may spread through food or beverages. Infants and babies are more susceptible to infection by pathogens because of their less well-developed immune system and lack of competing organisms in the gut flora. The aim of this research study was to investigate microbiological safety of a range of powdered food products that are consumed by either infants or adults, who may be immune-compromised. In order to achieve the goal, 21 powdered food products including infant formula milks and powdered protein-based shakes were purchased from retail stores and analyzed for bacterial contamination. Seven out of 21 products were contaminated with different combinations of 9 bacterial isolates belonging to three different types. Isolation and identification was carried out using conventional methods including, culturing, microscopic analysis and biochemical testing. Three bacterial species including two Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and one Gram-negative (Enterobacter sakazakii) were isolated from seven locally made food products. B. cereus was found predominantly in five products. Furthermore, antibiotic susceptibility was determined using various commercially available antibiotic disks