ABSTRACT
Ready-to-eat foods are popular consumed in the world including Egypt. It could be easily contaminated with various Food-borne pathogens and thus could be a main source of food-borne illness. Meat and meat products are considered as an excellent source for supporting growth of such pathogens. The present study was intended to monitor the microbiological quality of twenty sandwiches of ready-to- eat liver (kibda) and minced meat (hawawshi) sold in Egypt. Food samples were analyzed for the presence of coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, as well as the presence of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus and their ability to produce various types of enterotoxins. Coliform bacteria were detected in 40% and 20%, E. coli O157:H7 in 20% and 10%, Sallmonella spp. in 30% and 20%, L. monocytogenes in 30 % and 10%, while B. cereus was detected in 60% and 40% of the liver and minced meat sandwiches respectively. Although the coagulase- positive S. aureus was detected in 40% of liver and 20% of meat sandwiches but none of these isolates was able to produce any type of staphylococcal enterotoxins. Measures to control the quality of the raw material, environmental and hygienic conditions during preparation and serving of these foods should be undertaken. |
