Distribution of Bacillus cereus, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis in Marketed Pickles

HSU-YANG LIN, SU-YI CHU, SHAO-WEI FANG AND DANIEL YANG-CHIH SHIH

National Laboratories of Foods and Drugs,Department of Health,Executive Yuan

ABSTRACT

   From Oct. 1990 to Jun. 1991, 120 samples of pickles(including 30 leaf vegetables, 38 earth vegetables, 39 fruit vegetables and 13 soybean products) were purchased from supermarkets, traditional markets and food retail stores in Taipei area and examined for the presence of Bacillus cereus (pathogen), B. subtilis and B. licheniformis (opportunistic pathogen). A total of 47 samples contained at least one of the three Bacillus species. Bacillus spp. was detected in 30.0% of leaf vegetables, 31.6% of earth vegetables, 48. 7% of fruit vegetable and 53.8% of soybean products. The detection rate B. subtilis was 21.7 %,which was the highest one among the three Bacillus species.

Key words: Pickles, Pathogen, Bacillus spp