Gergoush is a naturally fermented Sudanese Bread snack produced in three fermentation steps (primary starter, adapted starter and final dough), followed by three baking steps for a half to one hour at above 200 °C. This study examines the microbiota of two sets of fermentations performed at a traditional production site in Khartoum, Sudan in 2006 and 2009, respectively. In 2006 four different milk/legume based primary starters (faba bean, chick pea, lentil and white bean) were sampled in order to enumerate and identify the Bacillus at species or group level. In 2009 specific focus was on the enumeration and safety evaluation of the dominant Bacillus cereus group species occurring during various Gergoush productions (including the three fermentations steps and after baking). In 2006, the primary starters contained Bacillus spp. in the order of between 7.7 and 8.1 log(10) CFU/g. Species identifications were performed by M13-PCR typing using the Escherichia coli phage M13 derived primer PM13 combined with internally transcribed 16-23S rRNA PCR, 16S rRNA gene and gyrA or gyrB gene sequencing, and selected phenotypic tests. Depending on the legume used, 40-68% of the isolates were identified as B. cereus sensu lato, 16-27% as Bacillus licheniformis, 8-32% as Bacillus subtilis and 4-20% as Bacillus sonorensis. During the second set of fermentation trials performed in 2009, the Bacillus spp. and B. cereus occurred in numbers of between 7.7-9.9 and 6.1-7.8 log(10) CFU/g, respectively, while no bacteria were detected after baking. A total of 180 B. cereus sensu lato isolates from four different primary starters, adapted starters and final doughs were further identified as B. cereus sensu stricto (118 isolates) and Bacillus thuringiensis (62 isolates). The safety of Gergoush was evaluated based on the counts and toxin gene profiles of the dominant B. cereus species. Considering that no bacteria survived the baking process, and that the cereulide synthetase gene cesB involved in the production of the heat stable emetic toxin cereulide was not detected in any of the investigated B. cereus isolates, the results indicate, that Gergoush produced at the traditional production site is safe for human consumption. This study is the first to identify the Bacillus of Gergoush to species level, and it is the first to perform a safety evaluation of the product, based on the dominant B. cereus species.

Enterobacteriaceae can contaminate meat during various processing stages, including slaughter, evisceration, and b utchering, potentially causing foodborne illnesses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in carcass samples obtained from slaughterhouses and meat cuts collected from butcher shops. A total of 120 samples of camel, cattle, and sheep meat were analyzed for microbial contamination and isolates were identified using the PCR test. Total viable count ranged from 4.91 to 5.37 Log₁₀ CFU/g in slaughterhouses and butcher shops. E. coli dominated, with 84 out of the 120 samples (70%) contaminated, where contamination was highest in camel meat and lowest in sheep meat with 100% and 30% of contaminated samples, respectively. Salmonella was confirmed in 40% of camel, 47.5% of cattle, and 32.5% of sheep samples. In addition, twenty-five Enterobacteriaceae strains belonging to 19 different genera were detected in the meat samples. The highest occurrence was in the sheep samples with 15 different genera followed by the camels and the cattle samples with 14 different genera each. The presence of Enterobacteriaceae in camel, cattle, and sheep carcasses raises significant concerns regarding food safety. Adherence to good hygiene practices throughout animal slaughtering is crucial to minimize the risk of infection and transmission and ensure food safety.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate on changes of the microbial load and the chemical and physical properties of date fruits stored for 6 months under two different temperatures.Design/methodology/approach: A composite sample of 100 kg date fruits from the Khalas variety, season 2019, was collected from the local market in Al Ahsa Province, Saudi Arabia, packaged in 1 kg lots, stored at room and refrigerator temperatures and the microbial contamination and the chemical and physical properties monitored over a period of six months of storage. Total bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts and molds were counted and representatives of yeast and mold contaminants were identified using morphological, physiological and molecular typing techniques. Changes in the color and texture of the samples were also monitored during storage.Findings: The yeasts detected were two strains of each of Lachancea thermotolerans and Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis and one strain of Cystofilobasidium lacus-mascardii. For molds, one strain of each of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus caespitosus have been detected. No significant growth of these microorganisms was observed, but enough load persisted during storage that makes the samples not meeting the microbiological standards. There were significant changes in the color and texture of the fruits during storage.Originality/value: These findings add important information that can help producers and processors to improve quality and promote marketing of date fruits, especially to international markets.

In this work, high hydrostatic pressure was applied to preserve camel milk. It is used as an alternative method to heat treatment which usually damage some nutrient components of milk. Fresh samples were subjected to pressure treatments at 200-600 Megapascals (MPa) for 5 minutes and 40°C. Treatment at 200 MPa reduced microbial contamination up to 0.12 log cycles. The killing effect increased with increased pressure to exceed three log cycles at pressures up to 400 MPa. Gram negative bacteria were more affected by high pressure treatments than gram positive ones. Enterobacteriaceae can be controlled by pressure treatments up to 300 MPa. Pressure treatments up to 350 MPa can cause clotting of camel milk, a phenomenon not observed in cow or goat milk and also not observed in camel milk at heat treatment up to boiling. Camel milk treated at 300 MPa and stored at 3ºC showed no signs of microbial spoilage up to 15 days of storage, while the microbial load of untreated samples stored at the same temperature reached the spoilage level in about a week. High pressure treatment of camel milk resulted in a decrease in its proteolytic activity, but had no significant effect on other chemical attributes such as color, fat oxidation, pH value and the organoleptic characteristics. High hydrostatic pressure up to 300 MPa can be successfully used to preserve camel milk against microbial spoilage. The phenomenon of camel milk clotting at pressures above 300 MPa needs investigation.

The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) offers a sustainable solution for water management in agriculture, particularly in arid regions like Saudi Arabia. However, its success depends on farmers’ acceptance, influenced by perceptions of economic benefits, social acceptability, environmental impacts, and health risks. This study surveys 391 farmers across five regions in Saudi Arabia to assess their attitudes toward TWW reuse in irrigation, exploring how advanced wastewater treatment technologies can improve acceptance. Results show that 65% of farmers use TWW, with usage peaking at 72% in Al-Ahsa and Qatif, driven by water scarcity and lack of alternatives. While 78% are satisfied with TWW, concerns persist regarding pests, consumer acceptance, health risks, and soil quality. Advanced technologies can mitigate these issues by enhancing water quality and safety. The highest positive impact of the use of TWW in irrigation from was the impact on productivity, reduction in the cost of fertilizers and savings in the cost of water abstraction. With only 57% of farmers receiving extension services, integrating education on these technologies could further boost confidence. This study highlights key acceptance factors, underscoring the need for technological and educational interventions to promote sustainable TWW reuse in agriculture.

A system for the extraction, filtration, and concentration of date fruit syrup was developed. The syrup was first extracted under 1000 mbar and under partial vacuums of −1.8, −2.8, and −5.5 mbar in an extractor developed by the authors, then filtered using a filtration ladder of 1.0, 0.25, 0.112, and 0.011-mm pore sizes and finally concentrated to the product known as a dip in the Arab world. The concentration of the syrup to dip was done in a rotary evaporator at 50 °C and 180 rpm for 9–11 hours and under direct sun rays at approximately 48 °C, placed in stainless steel trays (61 × 46 × 5 cm) for 4 hours (12:30–4:30 p.m. The quality of dip produced under sun evaporation was compared to that of a commercial one collected from the markets in Saudi Arabia and was found to be superior due to two decisive criteria, namely color (the appearance) and pH (the taste), and also in terms of other nutritional components.