Published Paper Details:

Paneer is one such product which is a regular dietary favorite among the Indians. So the present study was conducted to assess the bacteriological quality of Paneer sold in Guwahati city, Assam. A total of 30 samples were collected from various areas of Guwahati city. All samples were analysed for total viable count of pathogenic bacteria on different solid agar media and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern .All the 30 samples had bacteriological counts ranging from 1x102 to 3.0x107 CFU/gm. Of all the samples Staphylococcus spp. was found in 100% of the samples,Escherichia coli in 66.7% K. pnumoniae in 40% and S.typhi in 13.3% of the samples.The heavy bacterial contamination seen in all samples predominantly in Staphylococcus spp. and fecal coliforms can be attributed to poor hygienic conditions during paneer preparation, handling and storage. The study suggests the need for more strict preventive and control measures to avoid pre and post process contamination in milk food products.