Pathogenic potential of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from unpackaged ice cream samples sold in Istanbul

Abstract

Ice cream is a widely consumed refreshing food, especially in the summer months, and it creates a suitable environment for microbial growth due to its high nutritional value, appropriate pH, and long storage time. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of enterotoxigenic and meticillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus in unpackaged ice cream samples sold in Istanbul, Turkey. For that purpose, 101 unpackaged ice cream samples were collected and evaluated for coagulase activity, DNase activity, and methicillin resistance. Staphylococcus aureus is determined in 66 (65.3%) samples with a mean load of 3.2±1.0 log cfu/mL. 34.6% of samples exceeded the Turkish Food Codex (2009) limit, which ranged between 102 – 103 cfu/g. It was found that 61 (64.8%) of the S. aureus strains were coagulase positive, 21 (22.3%) were DNase positive, and 18 (19.1%) had methicillin resistance. The present study's findings revealed that unpackaged ice cream samples in Istanbul have high enterotoxin-producing potential with a high S. aureus load. The presence of Methicilin-resistant strains may represent a potential hazard to public health.