Enumeration and Identification of Microorganisms in Plantation White Sugar from Factories in Thailand

Abstract

Enumeration of mesophilic bacteria and thermophilic bacterial spores from thirty-seven plantation white sugar factories were investigated. The total mesophilic count at 35°C and thermophilic flat sour spores count at 55°C were range from 0-670 CFU/10 g of sugar and 0-1,470 spores/10 g of sugar respectively. Thermophilic anaerobes were not observed where as yeast and mold count and pathogenic bacteria were undetectable in all samples. Eighty-four isolates of thermophilic bacteria were found in samples of twenty-seven factories. Based on physiological, biochemical and phenotypic characteristics, most of isolates were classified as Bacillus coagulans which were being the dominant species. B.circulans and B.brevis were found in the samples of two factories where as B.macerans was found in the only one factory.