Investigate the Contamination of Bacillus Cereus, Enterococcus Faecalis, and Coliforms in Spices sold in Shahrekord

Background & aim: Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis are pathogenic bacteria that are abundant in nature and can produce toxins that cause food poisoning in consumers.The aim of the present study was to investigate the contamination of Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, and coliforms in spices sold in Shahrekord market. Methods:In this study, first, 100 samples of spices including turmeric, cinnamon, spices, black pepper and red pepper (20 samples each) were randomly sampled and transferred to the food hygiene laboratory.To detect Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, linear culture method, determination of the frequency of virulence genes by Multiplex PCR method, evaluation of antibiotic resistance by Disk-Diffusion method and coliform enumeration by standard method were used. Result:The results showed that 45 samples (45%) and 12 samples (12%) were contaminated with Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively.In Bacillus cereus, the frequency of virulence genes CytK, Ces and hblC was 25%, 11% and 4%, respectively.The results obtained from the coliform enumeration showed that the highest amount of coliform was counted in turmeric and the lowest amount of coliform contamination was counted in cinnamon.The results of the antibiogram showed that the highest resistance of Bacillus cereus was related to penicillin and ampicillin and the highest resistance of Enterococcus faecalis was related to erythromycin. Conclusion:According to the results obtained from the present study, the presence of Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis in spices sold in Shahrekord city can be a warning for consumers and endanger public health.