<![CDATA[Ice products including crystal ice and commercially packaged ice cubes are routinely consumed in peri-urban Indonesia, yet freezing does not confer sterility. This descriptive, laboratory-based study examined four ice specimens from Cilengkrang Village, Cirebon Regency, using the three-stage Most Probable Number (MPN) method for coliform enumeration and IMViC–TSIA profiling for Escherichia coli identification. All specimens exceeded the regulatory threshold of 0 CFU/100 mL stipulated under Permenkes No. 2/2023, with MPN values ranging from 29 to 1,100/100 mL. Biochemical characterisation was substantially consistent with E. coli, however, a positive Simmons Citrate reaction was observed a finding that, in the absence of single colony purification, cannot be attributed exclusively to atypical E. coli, as it is equally consistent with the co-presence of citrate-positive Coliform genera such as Klebsiella spp. or Enterobacter spp. within a mixed microbial population. These results constitute preliminary evidence of microbiological risk, warranting expanded sampling and molecular confirmation.]]>
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