Abstract
One hundred sixty-five samples of various foods were collected from 24 different Chinese take-out restaurants for bacteriological examination which included enumeration of Bacillus cereus by three media, MYP, KG and blood agars. Blood agar was less selective but no quantitative differences in recovery were apparent. Twenty-eight samples (15%) yielded B. cereus in excess of 100 per gram, and 20 of these were fried rice (33% positive), which also showed the poorest overall bacteriological quality. Biochemical characterization of 232 isolates of B. cereus showed 96% or more positive for catalase, nitrate reduction, beta-haemolysis, subterminal-ellipsoidal spores, aerobic and anaerobic utilization of glucose, Voges-Proskauer, fermentation of glycerol, gelatin hydrolysis, and alkaline peptonization of litmus milk; and a negative reaction in mannitol. Variable results were obtained for motility, fermentation of sucrose and salicin, and starch hydrolysis. Thirty-three isolates were susceptible to 12 of 19 antibi...

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