Repeated food poisoning episodes, help n

[Sunil Khemaney]

My humble apologies but there was a significant typo in the lab results I
posted yesterday concerning the repeated food poisoning episodes.  The
Bacillus cereus count was >5000 CFU/g (and not <10 CFU/g as I posted
yesterday.)  The (revised) results are as follows: 

> Lab Results
> 
> Date: June 1, 1995
> 
> Cheese                                                 Units     Methods
> 
> Aerobic Plate Count 35 deg. C                2.4E6      CFU/g     pour
> Presumptive Coliforms                        <3      MPN/g     mpn fd
> Faecal Coliforms                                  Nil        MPN/g     mpn fd
> Coag positive Staphylococci                  <10      CFU/g     spread
> Bacillus Cereus                                   <10     CFU/g     spread
> Clostridium perfringens                      <10      CFU/g     spread
> 
> Mushrooms
> 
> Aerobic Plate Count 35 deg. C                1.7E6     CFU/g     pour
> Presumptive Coliforms                        1100      MPN/g     mpn fd
> Faecal Coliforms                                  <3        MPN/g     mpn fd
> Coag positive Staphylococci                  <10       CFU/g     spread
> Bacillus Cereus                                   <10       CFU/g     spread
> Clostridium perfringens                      <10       CFU/g     spread
> 
> Milk
> 
> Aerobic Plate Count 35 deg. C                7.2E4     CFU/g     pour
> Presumptive Coliforms                        <3        MPN/g     mpn fd
> Faecal Coliforms                                  Nil       MPN/g     mpn fd
> Coag positive Staphylococci                  <10       CFU/g     spread
> Bacillus Cereus                                  >5000    CFU/g     spread
> Clostridium perfringens                      <10       CFU/g     spread
> 
> 
> Mata Paneer
> 
> Aerobic Plate Count 35 deg. C                -         CFU/g     pour
> Presumptive Coliforms                        -         MPN/g     mpn fd
> Faecal Coliforms                                  -         MPN/g     mpn fd
> Coag positive Staphylococci                  -         CFU/g     spread
> Bacillus Cereus                                   -         CFU/g     spread
> Clostridium perfringens                      Absent    /g        spd/en
> Clostridium perfringens                      -         CFU/g     spread
> Staphylococcal Enterotoxin                   -         -         immuno
> 
> Tofu
> 
> Aerobic Plate Count 35 deg. C                8.4E6     CFU/g     pour
> Presumptive Coliforms                        >1100     MPN/g     mpn fd
> Faecal Coliforms                                  <3        MPN/g     mpn fd
> Coag positive Staphylococci                  <10       CFU/g     spread
> Bacillus Cereus                                   <10       CFU/g     spread
> Clostridium perfringens                      Absent    /g        spd/en
> Clostridium perfringens                      <10       CFU/g     spread
> Staphylococcal Enterotoxin                   Absent    -         immuno
>      
> Methods of Analysis:
> 
> immuno    By immunoassay
> mpn fd    MPN Method for Foods
> pour      Pour Plate Enumeration
> spd/en    Spread Plate/Selective Enrich 
> spread    Spread Plate Enumeration
> 
> Comments:
> 
> Results apply to samples as received.  Methods used are Public
> Health Laboratory Methodologies of the Institute of Environmental
> Science and Research (ESR).
> 
> Coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the
> mushrooms in low numbers.
> 
> The only significant result from the foods tested was the
> Bacillus cereus count obtained from the organic milk.  However,
> due to this product having exceeded the best before date, this
> result cannot be tied to the quality of the milk before it
> reached the best before date.  It is recommended that products
> which have reached the best before date should not be consumed. 
> It this product was consumed after the best before date, it is
> quite possible that it may have been the cause of the symptoms
> exhibited by the patients.  It is not known whether the
> pasteurization process that the organic milk was put through was
> adequate.  This could mean that Bacillus cereus organisms may
> have been present in the milk and were able to multiply to the
> levels found in the sample tested.
> 
> Date: June 26, 1995
> 
> Item           Yeast & Mould            Staphylococcus   Bacillus
>                (c.f.u. per g)           aureus (c.f.u.     cereus
>                                         per g)              (c.f.u. per g)
> 
> oat water batch <10                     <10                 <100
> 
> rolled oats batch <10                   <10                 <100
> 
> Uncle Tobys       <10                   <10              <100
> traditional oats
> 
> 
> Methods used are those laid down by the Association of Official
> Analytical Chemists in the 7th Edition of the Bacteriological
> Analytical Manual 1992.
> The Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of
> Foods.  3rd Edition, 1992.
>