| Summary: | In this work, the presence of Bacillus cereus in manufactured yerba mate was investigated. The natural habitat of this microorganism is the soil: it was isolated from different plant species, but above all, from boiled rice. Bacillus cereus produces toxins of two kinds preformed in food, one thermo-resistant or emetic and another thermolabile or diarrheogenic. Thirty two samples of manufactured yerba mate of different trademarks were analyzed, out of which 18 presented positive results, 6 of which were confirmed by means of biochemical tests. The bacteria solated were delivered to the Instituto INEI-ANLIS Dr. Carlos Malbrán for their typification and eventual confirmation. The presence of Bacillus cereus in food constitutes a serious risk, above all due to its capacity to produce thermoresistant toxins. In the literature, reference to its isolation in dried vegetables was found, a reason for which its presence in yerba mate is feasible.
|
|---|