Samples of butternut squash, potatoes, rice, and wheat flour were analyzed. Bacillus spp. and related species belonging to Paenibacillus and Brevibacillus genera were found in 96% of the samples. In butternut squash, predominant species were Bacillus pumilus and Paenibacillus polymyxa together with other Bacillus spp. species (B. cereus, B. licheniformis, B. sphaericus, and B. subtilis). In all the potato samples, Bacillus species were detected (B. cereus, B. mycoides, and B. licheniformis). Also, Bacillus spp. were detected in 100% of the unhusked rice samples, while incidence in white rice samples was 83%. In total rice samples, B. pumilus, Brevibacillus brevis, and Paenibacillus macerans were the main species and B. cereus, P. polymyxa, B. subtilis, and Brevibacillus laterosporus had the lower percentage. The most important species found in wheat flour was P. polymyxa with colony forming units per gram of about 10(2). As the identified species were potentially causatives of foodborne diseases, attention should be given to sanitary and temperature conditions as critical factors that influence the safety and shelf life of these products.
Practical application: Foodborne illness produce by B. cereus have been associated with a wide variety of food. In addition, some other Bacillus species have been related to foodborne disease in humans. Information about the virulence mechanisms of other Bacillus spp. is scanty and their risk is underestimated. Identifying the group of food and the food processes in which Bacillus cereus or other Bacillus spp. would be hazardous for human health is vital for the prevention of foodborne outbreak. In this study, we determined the incidence of Bacillus spp. and related genera in some food items of agriculture origin from Argentina. This research is relevant to identify the presence of potentially pathogen Bacillus species and related genera in this type of food.