Investigating the prevalence of Escherichia coli in traditional and industrial yogurts of Saveh city

Fermented dairy products form an essential part of the human diet in many regions of the world, and these foods have been consumed since the domestication of animals. Fermented milk products have been considered to strengthen intestinal health since ancient times. Escherichia coli is one of the most essential pathogenic contaminations in fermented products. This bacterium is one of the gram-negatives of the Enterobacteriaceae family, some of its strains. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of E. coli in traditional and industrial yogurt in Saveh city. In this study, we collected 50 industrial yogurt samples and 50 set yogurt samples from the supply centers of this product. We transferred them to the food quality control laboratory under sterile conditions with ice. The samples were weighed at 25 grams and placed in the relevant culture medium according to the standard. The process was cultured in the EMB medium, and the suspicious strains were evaluated biochemically to check the presence of bacteria. This study showed that 8 out of 50 traditional yogurt samples (16%) and 2 out of 50 industrial yogurt samples (4%) were contaminated with E. coli. Considering Escherichia coli's risks to human health and its presence in every food month is a sign of lack of hygiene, it is recommended not to use traditional yogurt.