Microbiological quality of panipuri sold in and around Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation, Telangana

The microbiological quality of panipuri sold at street vended panipuri, moderately hygienic food courts, and hygienically maintained restaurants in and around Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana State was studied. Twenty-five samples from each source were collected and analyzed. The total viable count, Total coliform count, Fecal coliform count, and Yeast and mold counts in the samples collected from street vended panipuri were 3.6×10⁹ cfu/gm, 5.2× 10⁷ cfu/gm, 3.8×10⁶ cfu/gm, and 3.2×10³ cfu/gm respectively, 1.7×10⁷cfu/gm, 4.3×10⁵ cfu/gm, 1.2×10⁵ cfu/gm, 7.2×10² cfu/gm respectively in the samples collected from the moderately hygienic food courts and 2.8×10⁵cfu/gm, 3.6×10⁴cfu/gm, 4.7×10³ cfu/gm, and 1.2×10²cfu/gm respectively from hygienically maintained restaurants. The incidence of staphylococcus aureus was 100%, 100% and 72%, Bacillus cereus of 44%, 28% and 16%, Salmonella of 16%, 8% and 0% (Nil), Shigella of 24% 12%, and 4%, Escherichia coli of 88%, 72% and 48%, Streptococcus fecalis of 64%, 44%, and 24% respectively from the street vended panipuri, moderately hygienic food courts and hygienically maintained restaurants. The counts of staphylococcus aureus were 2.6×10⁶, 5.2×10⁵, and 2.3×10³, Bacillus cereus of (3.8×10³), (4.9×10²), 2.5×10², Salmonella of 3.9×10², 9.5×10¹, Nil, Shigella of 8.6×10³, 3.9×10², 5.8×10¹, Escherichia coli of 3.6×10², 2.9×10³, 4.2×10⁴ and Streptococcus fecalis of 8.6×10¹, 8.7×10², 2.6×10³ cfu/gm respectively from the samples collected from street vended panipuri, moderately hygienic food courts and hygienically maintained restaurants.