genized for 2 min in sterile stomacher bags containing
180 ml of sterile saline using Stomacher 400 Lab Blender
(Seward Medical, UK). Serial dilutions were made in
sterile saline and appropriate dilutions were plated in
duplicate. All microbiological media were procured
from HiMedia Laboratories, India. Media employed
were plate count agar, Baird–Parker agar, violet red bile
agar and potato dextrose agar for determination of total
viable counts (TVC), Staphylococcus spp., coliforms and
mold counts, respectively. For aerobic spore counts
homogenate was heated in a water-bath at 80 1C for
15 min, cooled and plated on plate count agar.