Evaluation of microbial quality of dry confectioneries, marketed in Birjand city

Microbial contamination of confectionery products can cause types of gastrointestinal infections in consumers. The aim of this research was the assessment of microbial quality in dry confectionaries which marketed in Birjand city. For this purpose, at different times, a total of 100 samples of dry confectioneries were collected randomly under sterile conditions, based on the number of confectionery stores in different regions of the city and tested according to the reference and national standard methods. The statistical analysis of the data showed that the rate of contamination with Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms was more significant than standard limits in 8% and 13% of the samples, respectively, and none of them were infected with Escherichia coli. Also, 35% of the samples contained mold& yeast, but in 15% of them, the rate of contamination was higher than the standard limits. The results of this survey showed that a total of 19% of the samples were unusable due to excessive microbial contamination, so more precautionary measures should be taken in the processes of production, storage, and delivery of this product.