ASSESSMENT OF PATHOGENICITY AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LISTERIA SPP. IN READY-TO-EAT BAKERY PRODUCTS

Abstract

In this modern era people are very busy in their professional life and lack time to cook food on their own.  Now they are inclined to consume RTE foods to save time. Bakery foods like pizza, sandwich, and pastry are very popular in people but these must be safe to consume. Safety and quality of foods is affected by the environment in which these food products are prepared. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of Listeria in most commonly consumed bakery products in Faisalabad city. Food samples for presence of Listeria were tested by adopting spread plate method and biochemical confirmation was done by Gram staining, Methyl red, Oxidase, Catalase, Citrate, Indole and Hydrogen sulphide tests. The study concluded that sandwich, pastry and pizza samples collected from local and branded bakeries of Faisalabad city were found to be contaminated with Listeria spp. Listeria count was higher in local bakeries (7.2×10⁵CFU/g) as compared to the branded bakeries (2.4×10⁴CFU/g). The ultimate results highlight the need to introduce awareness and intervention programs to adopt food safety in Pakistan.