Food safety has emerged as an important global issue with international trade and public health implications. Bacillus cereus is an important cause of food poisoning worldwide. A total of 200 individual meat samples were collected from meat retail outlets and restaurants and investigated the frequency of B. cereus and hemolysin BL (Hbl), non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe) complex genes. The meat samples were immediately homogenized and cultured on Bacillus cereus selective agar and subjected for confirmatory biochemical tests and molecular detection of gyrB, hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB and nheC genes. A total of 29 (14.5 %) meat samples were positive for the presence of B. cereus. The frequency of B. cereus in raw meat (14.1 %) was similar to cooked beef samples (15 %) (P >  0.05). Twenty six (89.6 %) isolates carried at least one or more enterotoxin genes. We found nheA (58.6 %) and hblD (51.7 %) genes with higher frequency than others. Hemolysin BL complex genes were found in lower frequency than Nhe complex (P >  0.05). Detection of enterotoxigenic B. cereus in meat samples shows a probable risk for public health. Therefore, the reliable molecular methods for monitoring of potentially pathogenic B. cereus are strongly recommended for the routine food examination.

Enterotoxin Raw milk PCR carriers of S. aureus. Therefore, the insufficient pasteurization and decontamination of food products or their contamination during preparation, processing, and distribution by the carriers of S. aureus are the common risk factors for the outbreaks of staphylococcal food poisoning [3-6]. Some of the food products that are often involved in the transmission of staphylococcal poisoning include meat and its products, poultry and egg products, milk and dairy products, salads, bakery products (especially cream-filled pastries and cakes), and sandwich fillings [7-11]. The most common symptoms of staphylococcal food poisoning are nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, which occur within 2-6 hours after the consumption of enterotoxin-containing foods. Occasionally, SFP may be more severe or even fatal, especially in infants, the elderly or immunocompromised patients [11, 12].