Abstract
Very popular in Belgium, rice tart is a hot pastry sold in bakeries. It is then consumed at home, for dessert or snack. This study is conducted to investigate the microbiological stability of this foodstuff, from the end of baking to end user by consumers. In this purpose, 108 rice tart samples were collected from each of seven bakeries in five Belgium provinces. Physico-chimical analysis in addition to microbiological analysis were carried out in accordance with the European Regulation EC 2073/2005 and with references methods, to enumerate the total microorganisms count, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus as well as Enterobacteria, susceptible likely to contaminate the tarts during the production or after baking. Even when the results meet the microbiological safety standards immediately after baking in all bakeries implicated, a significant (p <0,05) increase of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (ranging from <1 to 7 log cfu/g) and B. cereus (> 3,7 log cfu/g) was observed during the storage at nonrefrigerated temperature (28 to 30°C). A post-baking recontamination and other parameters like an insufficient baking time or a non uniform distribution of the oven heat could explain the observed bacteria growth. The present study shows that most rice tarts investigated are microbiologically safe. However, the possible increase of bacteria load in this foodstuff attributable to the favorable aw, pH and temperature conditions, highlight the importance of applying good hygienic practices and compliance with storage conditions after baking to ensure consumer safety.
Highlights
Bakery products are part of the processed food category
Physico-chimical analysis in addition to microbiological analysis were carried out in accordance with the European Regulation EC 2073/2005 and with references methods, to enumerate the total microorganisms count, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus as well as Enterobacteria, susceptible likely to contaminate the tarts during the production or after baking
Bakery products could constitute the potential vehicles of a wide range of food poisoning microorganisms to humans because of their chemical composition that favors the proliferation of these pathogens
Summary
Bakery products are part of the processed food category They include cake, pastries, biscuits, bread, breakfast cereals, and other products. They hold among foods products, a significant market share. The bakery market in Canada for example, registered total value sales of C$8.6 billion and total volume sales of 1.2 million tonnes in 2011 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2013). Today, their production has evolved from a primitive, cottage industry into a modern manufacturing industry, promoting the increase in sale volume within the past decades (Kohn, 2000; Smith, Daifas, El-Khoury, Koukoutsis and El-Khoury 2004). According to Osimani et al, 2016, the factors that can contribute to the production of good bakery products quality are the raw materials quality, the production technology and the plant hygiene
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