Iranian Journal of Medical Microbiology

Background: Ice cream is a dairy product that is very popular during warm seasons. Ice cream can be contaminated with various microorganisms including pathogenic bacteria if hygienic procedures are not followed during preparation, distribution and preservation processes. This may put the health of people using ice cream at risk. Our study aimed to examine the bacterial contamination of traditional ice creams in Kermanshah city during 2008.

Methods: During summer 2008, 80 samples of traditional ice creams were collected. The samples were examined according to the Iranian National Standard protocols for E. coli, Coliforms,  Salmonella,  Staphylococcus aureus and complete count of microorganisms.

Results: Overall, 62 (77.5%) samples had microbial contaminations more than the standard limit. Results showed 59 (73.75%) and 54 (67.5 %) of the samples contained a high number of microorganisms and coliform, respectively. Furthermore 30 (37.5%) and 23 (28.75%) of the samples were contaminated with E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. However, Salmonella spp. was not found in any of the ice cream samples.

Conclusion: The traditional ice creams tested in Kermanshah were heavily contaminated with bacteria. It could be due to the inappropriate preparation and preservation procedures using unpasteurized milk and other materials.  Contaminations may also be induced by personals. So it is recommended to apply the hygienic procedures for preparation and preservation of ice cream including the use of pasteurized milk and other materials.