Exposure to in Water Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese.

is a spoilage bacterium and is recognized as an agent of food poisoning. Two food-borne illnesses are caused by : a diarrheal disease, associated with cytotoxin K, hemolysin BL, non-hemolytic enterotoxin and enterotoxin FM, and an emetic syndrome, associated with the cereulide toxin. Owing to the heat resistance of and its ability to grow in milk, this organism should be considered potentially hazardous in dairy products. The present study assessed the risk of poisoning due to the consumption of water buffalo mozzarella cheese. A total of 340 samples were analyzed to determine counts (ISO 7932:2005); isolates underwent molecular characterization to detect the presence of genes encoding toxins. Eighty-nine (26.1%) samples harbored strains, with values ranging from 2.2 × 10 to 2.6 × 10 CFU/g. Isolates showed eight different molecular profiles, and some displayed virulence characteristics. Bacterial counts and the toxin profiles of isolates were evaluated both separately and jointly to assess the risk of enteritis due to following the consumption of buffalo mozzarella cheese. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that the risk of poisoning by following the consumption of this cheese was moderate.