Microbiological Quality of Chhana Based Sweets

Few studies have been conducted to examine the chhana based sweets for microbiological quality with a view to assess the standard of cleanliness during production, transportation, storage and marketing. The present information cannot be used in formulating the microbiological standards for these products.Contaminated chhana and its rasogulla, prepared by heating raw milk, containing staphylococci grown to a level of 108 and 109 cfu/ ml, thermo stable deoxy-ribonuclease and enterotoxins showed the absence of staphylococci but the presence of the latter two. However, the non-selective enrichment of such chhana and rasogulla samples in BHI broth showed the growth of staphylococci to a level of 104 to 109 cfu/ g with an increase in thermo stable deoxy ribonuclease activity. It indicated that the public health hazard posed by chhana and rasogulla made from raw milk heavily contaminated with enterotoxigenic strains of staphylococcus aureus.

Sandesh samples examined for total plate count, coliform count, staphylococcal count, yeast and mould count and their counts per gram of product ranged from 0-1 x 105, 0-55 x 101, 0-49 x 102 and 0-35 x 102, respectively. The most prevalent organisms identified were E. coli, staphylococcal strains, and moulds such as A.niger, A fumigates and A. nidulans.