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The present study aimed to evaluate the dependence of growth dynamics of toxigenic B. cereus on rice type, inoculum type, storage time, and temperature using appropriate mathematical models. Samples of cooked white (milled) and brown (husked) rice inoculated with vegetative cell/spore suspension of B. cereus were stored for 48 h at 4 °C (correct storage) and 24 °C (inappropriate storage method). No growth of B. cereus was observed during 48 hours of storage at 4 °C and was characterised by a linear model. To assess the growth of B. cereus in the cooked rice stored at 24 °C, the Baranyi-Roberts, Gompertz and Buchanan mathematical models were used. The Gompertz model characterized the growth of B. cereus best. The type of rice and the type of inoculum did not have a significant effect on the bacterial growth. After 48 h of storage at 24°C, the B. cereus counts were in the range of 8-9 log cfu.g-1, critical value of 5 log cfu.g-1 was reached in less than 10 hours of storage. The study results indicate that cooked rice stored at 24 °C quickly becomes a health risk for consumers due to the rapid multiplication of B. cereus within a few hours. In conclusion, it is crucial to cool cooked rice immediately to 4 °C if it is not to be consumed right after cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work was to determine the significant physicochemical and bioactive parameters of honeys originating from Iraqi Kurdistan. For this purpose, honey samples (n = 16) were taken directly from Kurdish beekeepers from different places of Dohuk and Erbil Governorate in 2018 and 2022. The following parameters were analyzed: moisture content, electrical conductivity, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, pH, free acidity, content of saccharides, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, color, color intensity and DPPH, FRAP. Another objective of this work was to compare the properties of Kurdistan honeys with the requirements of European Union law and with the honeys of Central Europe. A total of 48 honey samples were included in the comparison. It was detected that the honeys produced in Iraqi Kurdistan met the strict quality criteria set by European law, which is important information for local beekeepers and experts in relation to honey production and an opportunity to set local limits of honey quality. Despite the different climatic and topographical conditions, the available flora, and the different species of bees, the properties of Iraqi Kurdistan honeys were similar to the properties of honeys from the Czech and Slovak Republics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]