Compiled By: Julie A. Albrecht, Ph.D., Associate Professor
The Organism: Bacillus cereus is a facultative anaerobic spore forming bacteria. It is widespread in nature and in foods, especially in the spore state.
Sources of the organism:
Soil
Unpasteurized milk
Cereals and starch
Herbs and spices
Associated foods:
Meat pies
Cooked rice and fried rice
Starchy foods (potato, pasta)
Food mixtures (soups, casseroles, sauces)
Puddings
Microorganism Characteristics: Gram positive facultative anaerobic spore forming rod.
Growth conditions:
Temperature range: 10-49°C (50-91°F)
Optimum Temperature: 30°C (86°F)
pH range: 4.9-9.3
Lowest reported Aw for growth: 0.93
The Disease: The Disease: Bacillus cereus can cause two distinct types of illnesses: 1) a diarrheal illness with an incubation time of approximately 10 to 16 hours, and 2) an emetic (vomiting) illness with an incubation time of one to six hours.
Symptoms include:
Abdominal cramps
Watery diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Onset time:
Type 1: 10-16 hours
Type 2: 1-6 hours
Infective Dose:
Large numbers (more than 105 CFU/gm) of viable Bacillus cereus cells need to be consumed for symptoms of the illness to develop.
Duration of symptoms:
Usually 1 day
Control:
- Thoroughly cook ground meat products.
- Cool cooked products to 41°F within 4 hours
- Hold hot foods at or above 140°F.