摘要：Background and Objective: Ice cream is one of the most popular and massively consumed dairy products for children and adults. Contaminated ice cream is considered a potential threat to the population, so ensuring the safety of ice cream is a significant issue for the public health. This study aimed to determine the potential biological, chemical and physical hazards of small and large scale manufactured ice cream consumed in Egypt. Materials and Methods: Seventy five samples of ice-cream (35 large scale and 40 small scale) were collected from street vendors, dairy shops and supermarkets in Cairo and Giza governorates and inspected for different types of hazards. Independent samples t-test and the significant (p < 0.05) relationship between the hygienic status of small and large scale ice cream samples were calculated. Results: The S. aureus was detected with an incidence of 12.5% for small scale samples and 11.42% for large scale ice-cream samples, while E. coli , Salmonella and L. monocytogenes couldn't be detected in all examined samples. Total mesophilic bacteria; Psychrotrophs, Coliform, Fecal coliform, Yeast, Mold and Total staphylococci counts were also determined. Aflatoxin M1 was present in 16 of the 20 examined small scale and large scale ice-cream samples, while Organochlorinated pesticides and Polychlorinated biphenyls couldn't be detected in all examined samples. Physical hazard was inspected in 3(7.5%) samples of the examined small scale ice-cream including hair, plastic piece and metal piece. Conclusion: It is considered a top priority to improve the hygienic status of the produced ice-cream in addition to implementing regulatory measures for ensuring the safety and quality of ice cream.
