Authors: King, Nicola J.; Whyte, Rosemary; Hudson, J. Andrew

Source: Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 70, Number 2, February 2007 , pp. 514-520(7)

Publisher: International Association for Food Protection

Abstract:

Dehydrated potato contains Bacillus cereus at a prevalences of 10 to 40% and at numbers usually less than 10³ CFU g⁻¹. B. cereus in dehydrated potato is likely to be present as spores that are able to survive drying of the raw vegetable and may represent a significant inoculum in the reconstituted (rehydrated) product where conditions favor germination of, and outgrowth from, spores. Holding rehydrated mashed potato alone, or as part of another product (e.g., potato-topped pie), at temperatures above 10°C and below 60°C may allow growth of vegetative B. cereus. Levels exceeding 10⁴ CFU g⁻¹ are considered hazardous to human health and may be reached within a few hours if stored inappropriately between these temperatures. Foods incorporating mashed potato prepared from dehydrated potato flakes have been implicated in B. cereus foodborne illness. This review is a summary of the information available concerning the prevalence and numbers of B. cereus in dehydrated potato flakes and the rate at which growth might occur in the rehydrated product.

Document Type: Review article

Affiliations: 1: Food Safety Programme, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, P.O. Box 29-181, 27 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand

Publication date: 2007-02-01

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  First published in 1937, the Journal of Food Protection^®, is a refereed monthly publication. Each issue contains scientific research and authoritative review articles reporting on a variety of topics in food science pertaining to food safety and quality. The Journal is internationally recognized as the leading publication in the field of food microbiology with a readership exceeding 11,000 scientists from 70 countries. The Journal of Food Protection^® is indexed in Index Medicus, Current Contents, BIOSIS, PubMed, Medline, and many others.
  
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