Advancing Open Science for more than 25 years

Abstract: A survey was conducted on a branded chocolate bars of company A, which were collected
from the local and the nearby places of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The samples collected were checked for the
presence of microbial growth viz., coliforms, and Enterobacteriaceae. 11 % of the sample showed the presence
of microbes in wrapped chocolates. Two isolates were pure cultured, which were further characterized
morphologically, biochemically and by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The two isolated were identified as Listeria
denitrificans and Kurthia sp. The outgrowth of these pathogenic microorganisms is a matter of great concern
as despite taking care all the precautions these microbes have evolved themselves with the capability which
enables them to regrow on milk chocolate and can catastrophically affect human body by causing nervous
breakdown. Repeated occurrence also highlight it to be used as an indicator in milk/ food industry.