Estimativa de riscos relacionados a contaminação de preparações de arroz por Bacillus cereus

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

1998

RESUMO

Twenty samples of each polished, parboiled and unpolished raw rice were colleded and examined with regard to the presence of Bacillus cereus. Receptively, 50%, 10% and 100% of the samples were found contaminated, reaching levels from 1,00 x 102 to 1,76 X 103 CFU/g. When classified by using the combination of three specified biochemical tests, 216 isolates were shown to belong to three different biotypes. Only four isolates were amilase-negatives, property that has some close relationship with the emetic toxin production potential. Testing microorganisms, representing the found biotypes, and two type-strains (emetic and diarrheal) were used to prepare spores suspensions. These suspensions were inoculated in a rice medium, with the purpose to evaluate the effed of rice cooking on spore survival and to investigate the potential for growth in the medium, which was formulated to be identical to the preparation adopted in a foodservice stablishment. The experiments were designed to simulate methods of cooking and storage conditions commonly used in the foodservice kitchen. Monitoring procedures were performed with the aim to obtain data needed for describing the entire processes. The results indicated that the rice cooking procedure reduced the B. cereus populations at least two or three log cycles, when temperature was kept at 97.5°C during 40 min, while heat-resistant spores would survive. The growth experiments were conducted at 10°, 15°, 22°, 30°, 37°, 43° and 45°C. Ali the spore suspensions germinated and grew well in the rice medium, when incubated at different temperatures, from 15° to 45°C. The strains showed a minimum growth after three days at 10°C. Growth rates were increased as the temperature shifted from 15° to 37°C and decreased when the temperature arised from 37° to 45°C. The growth rates at 45°C were similar to those observed at 22°C. Optimum growth was found to lie between 30 to 37°C, for all the suspensions. Under these conditions, increases in B. cereus counts as big as five log cycles were registered after 9 h incubation. A total of 70 growth curves were generated. Maximum growth rates, for each suspension and temperature, were calculated by linear regression. Estimated growth rates were fitted by using a mathematical model, in order to predict the values along the entire temperature range at which B. cereus growth is possible. So, the estimated rates allowed to build curves, to describe the resulting growth of the microorganisms at cooling and storage conditions simulating observations and measurements made in the foodservice kitchen. For the first case, the predictive curves were drawn to show the virtual growth of B. cereus present in cooked rice, when it s allowed to cool at walk-in refrigerator, and the temperature of the medium falls from 45° to 11,5°C during a 14h 20min period. The predicted increases in the B. cereus populations reached four log cycles, when such cooling conditions were simulated. For the second case, the curves drawn described the predicted growth when cooling rates are slower, in the walk-in refrigerator hall and, during identical period, the temperature falls from 45° to 19°C. In this case, the predicted increases in B. cereus populations reached seven log cycles. The results presented confirm the hazard associated with B. cereus contamination of cooked rice and show that the standard preparation, with salt and garlic in the proportions tested, may serve as a food poisoning vehicle if temperature-abused. Although outbreaks of foodborne diseases are a common occurrence, B. cereus have seldom been incriminated. These findings indicate that the real risks represented by the microrganism might be underestimated in foodservice stablishments as well in the homes where cooked rice provide ideal conditions for its contamination and growth.

ASSUNTO(S)

higiene alimentar alimentos - contaminação intoxicação alimentar arroz - nutrição

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