en Food Safety and Hygiene Food Safety and Hygiene پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height:1;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong>Background: </strong>Ice cream is a widely consumed dairy product that provides a favorable environment for microbial growth. This study aimed to assess the microbiological quality and contamination levels of handmade and industrial ice creams sold in Zanjan, Iran.<span lang="FA" dir="RTL" style="font-size:9.0pt"></span><br> <strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 70 ice cream samples, including traditional, industrial, chocolate, and fruit-flavored types, were randomly collected from different regions of Zanjan during the summer of 2024. The samples were analyzed for <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em> spp., <em>Bacillus cereus</em>, lactic acid bacteria, and coliforms using standard microbiological methods according to Iranian National Standards.<br> <strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that 85% of the ice cream samples exceeded permissible microbial limits. Contamination rates were as follows: <em>Bacillus cereus</em> (87%), <em>Escherichia coli</em> (84%), <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (68%), <em>Salmonella</em> spp. (80%), coliforms (81%), and lactic acid bacteria (84%). The highest total bacterial counts were observed in machine-made and traditional ice creams, suggesting poor hygienic conditions during processing and handling.<br> <strong>Conclusion: </strong>The presence of multiple pathogenic bacteria highlights the urgent need for strict hygienic control during ice cream production, the use of pasteurized milk, regular monitoring of production environments, and training of food handlers to reduce microbial hazards and protect public health.</span></span></span></div> Microbial contamination, Handmade ice cream, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Zanjan, 0 0 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-47-17&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Sara Balali Sara.balali1377@gmail.com 100319475328460016408 100319475328460016408 No Student Research Committee of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran; Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Hassan Hassanzadazar hassanzadazar_h@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460016409 100319475328460016409 Yes Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Sara Moradpey sm3479672@gmail.com 100319475328460016410 100319475328460016410 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Nessa Azimzadeh Nesaazimzadeh79@gmail.com 100319475328460016411 100319475328460016411 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Majid Aminzare m.aminzare@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460016412 100319475328460016412 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Adel Mirza Alizadeh a.alizadeh@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460016413 100319475328460016413 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Pegah Homauoni pegahhomayooni1377@gmail.com 100319475328460016414 100319475328460016414 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.