Abstract:
During the summer, ice cream is a widely consumed item. In Sri Lanka, high-quality ice
cream manufacture has become a key component of the dairy industry. Salmonellosis
is still a major public health issue around the world. During the previous decade, a
large number of Salmonella positive cases were reported from the Jaffna peninsula in
Sri Lanka. This study aimed to detect Salmonella spp. based on SLS regulation (SLS
516 Part 5:2017; ISO 6579-1:2017) in market available ice creams at Jaffna peninsula,
Sri Lanka. Thirty vanilla ice cream samples were collected randomly from Valikaamam,
Vadamaraadchi, Thenmaraadchi in Jaffna peninsula. Conventional cultural and biochemical
identifications (TSI test, urea agar test, L-Lysine carboxylation test, indole
test, β- galactosidase test and VP test) were carried out to isolate and detect the organism.
Experiments were carried out during December 2021 to February 2022. The results
revealed that the peninsula was contaminated with Salmonella. Two (IC16 and IC22)
of thirty samples (6.7%) were biochemically positive for Salmonella spp. The pH of icecream
samples was found to be between 5.6 and 6.5 at 25°C. Contributing factors of ice
cream for Salmonella contamination include poor sanitary practices during processing,
use of contaminated ingredients, contaminated scoop water, post-process contamination
and improper storage temperatures. Contaminated samples suggest the need to maintain
strict hygienic control over the ice cream production, handling, processing, storage and
distribution of ice cream should be maintained to protect consumers against health
hazard. The HACCP system should be implemented in the ice cream sector to improve
the quality of products made in Jaffna and ensure consumer safety.
