title: Presence and significance of Bacillus cereus in dehydrated potato products.
abstract: Dehydrated potato contains Bacillus cereus at a prevalences of 10 to 40% and at numbers usually less than 10(3) 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 degrees C and below 60 degrees C may allow growth of vegetative B. cereus. Levels exceeding 10(4) 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.
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Programme, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, P.O. Box 29-181, 27 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hudson
mesh_terms: D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins