| Popis: |
Due to their chemical composition and high water content, cakes are a suitable medium for the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms. Their contamination can occur at all stages of the production process: due to the use of contaminated raw materials (especially if the cakes are not heat treated before consumption), after heat treatment, during improper storage and / or transport and due to unhygienic handling. Bacteria from the family Enterobacteriaceae are mainly used as microorganisms indicators of process hygiene. Bacterial species such as Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli, which are also part of this family, are pathogenic and considered important for food safety, and their presence must be further confirmed by laboratory analysis. The aim of this study was to determine the spectrum of bacterial species from the family Enterobacteriaceae in cake samples, and to investigate whether they have pathogenic characteristics, which is important in context of the protection of consumer health. The conducted research included 201 samples of cakes sampled in the area of the city of Zagreb. After determining the presence of Enterobacteriaceae in an amount greater than 100 CFU/g, the MALDI-TOF method (VITEK® MS, Biomeriux) was used for determination specific enterobacteria that were present in the sample. Determination results confirmed presence of 10 species: Enterobacter kobei, Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia liquefaciens, Enterobacter asburiae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Buttiauxella gaviniae, Buttiauxella warmboldiae, Ratinella and Cedecea neteri. According to the literature, the Enterobacteriaceae identified in this study, other than Ratinella, were previously isolated from humans, while E. kobei, E. cloacae, P. agglomerans, E. asburiae and B. warmboldiae were isolated from food or water. However, for none of the Enterobacteriaceae identified in this study, in literature references was found that the disease was derived by causative bacteria from food. Even assuming that such situations do exist, it can be concluded that these are extremely rare cases. |
