Bacillus Cereus in RTE Foods – What Could Be the Source?

Hi Team ,

I need an advice on having marginal bacillus cereus contamination in RTE food. Although all the cleaning records, GMP practices and cooking and cooling records are compliant meals uses pasta and rice both products are cooked to the optimum temperature and for required time. I am confused what could be leading Bacillus cereus contamination. 

Cooked rice is one of the most neglected risky foods.........so i would assume it's your culprit

https://www.cnet.com...die when cooked.

https://www.cnet.com...die when cooked.

https://health.cleve...d-rice-syndrome

Both pasta and rice can have Bacillus cereus presence.  In the process of cooking, you will kill of the vegetative pathogens but the spores will remain.  On cooling, those spores will germinate and potentially grow, what's more in the absence of any other vegetative cells, they will have little competition.

So for control of this pathogen, one of the key process steps is cooling and cooling REALLY quickly.  How are you cooking and cooling the pasta and rice and how quickly does it cool?  

Thanks a lot everyone, I really appreciate your time and efforts to respond and help me to figure out the root cause. :)