READY-TO-EAT MEAT AND POULTRY PIES AS A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL PATHOGENS IN ASSUIT CITY

Discussion

Regulatory agencies and industrial quality assurance regularly examine foods or ingredients for microorganisms or their metabolic productsthat may indicate: (1) The possible presence of a pathogen or harmful toxins, (2) The possibility that faulty practices occurred during production, processing, storage and distribution, and for (3) The suitability of a food or ingredient for a desired purpose (NAS, 1985).

The standard plate count is one of the most common tests applied to indicate the microbiological quality of food. High count may indicate the product may have been prepared unhygienically or stored inappropriately (ICMSF, 2001).

The results recorded in Table 1 reveal that all the examined samples (100%) contained arobic bacteria in numbers varied from 9 x 10³ to 2.9 x 10⁵ with a mean value of 8 ± 1 x 10⁴ CFU/g, in meat pies while in poultry pies the numbers varied from 2.6 x 10⁴ to 6.9 x 10⁶ with a mean value of 8.3 ± 4.3 x 10⁵ CFU/g. There was a comparable difference (P < 0.01) between the mean total microbial counts between meat pies and poultry pies.

The high microbial counts may be due to meat offers a rich nutrient media for microbial growth (Phillips, 2003). Also this is an indication of recontamination in food handling hygiene techniques starting from the processing of the raw material to the finished product (Ikeme, 1990; Ojeibun, 1994). Higher counts of aerobic bacteria in meat pies were also enumerated by Alexander and Tittiger (1971), and a lower figure 3 x 10³ – 5 x 10³ CFU/g was reported by Yah clarence et al. (2009).

Table 2 showed the statistical values of Staph aureus (CUF/g) of the examined meat and poultry pies, the count ranged between 1 x 10¹and 2 x 10² with a mean value of 5 ± 1.4 x 10¹ CFU/ g meat pies and ranged between 4 x 10¹ and 3 x 10³ with a mean value of 6 ± 5 x 10² CFU/g in poultry pie, that a significance difference was apparent between them (P < 0.01). Higher counts of Staph aureus in meat pies were recorded by El-Gohary (1994) and Yah Clarence et al. (2009).

The significance difference (P < 0.01) which showed in both of total microbial counts and Staph aureus counts between meat pies and poultry pies could be attributed to the ingredients used and the processing difference.              

Results of coliform count (MPN/g) indicated in Table 3 verify that the minimum value of coliform in meat pies was 3.6, the maximum value was 4.3 x 10¹ and the mean value was 1.1 x 10¹ ± 0.1 x 10¹, while in poultry pies the minimum, maximum and mean values were 3.6,23 and 0.7 x 10¹ ± 0.1 x 10¹, respectively.

According to the data summarized in Table 4, the faecal coliform count (MPN/g) varied from 3.6 to 1.1 x 10¹ with a mean value of 0.5 x 10¹ ± 0.04 x 10¹ in meat pies and this count varied from 3.6 to 1.5 x 10¹ with a mean value of 0.5 x 10¹ ± 0.08 x 10¹ in poultry pies.

Regarding meat pies, two samples had E.coli where the MPN for each lied between 3->6 and 6->9/g whereas poultry pies revealed the presence of E.coli in 3 samples only where the MPN lied between 3->6/g as recorded in Table 5.

There was no significant difference between meat pies and poultry pies in coliform and faecal coliform counts as recorded in Tables 3 and 4.

Results given in Table 6 revealed that 82.5% and 775% of Staph aureus were isolated from meat and poultry pies respectively, this percent was higher than that obtained by Alexander and Tittiger (1971) (22.7%) in meat pies. Staphylococcus is a true food intoxication organism. It produces a heat stable toxin when allowed to grow for several hours in foods such as chicken pies. This bacterial growth may not cause any off color, odor, or textural or flavor changes, but the toxin will be secreted into the food. This organism grows best at body temperature (36.6 ^oC), but it can grow over the much wider range of 10 ^oC to 46.1^oc. the best prevention of staph food poisoning is to properly store food and reduce the temperature below 40 degree F within four hours after preparation of serving. In order for Staph to grow and produce toxin, it must have sufficient time, approximately two to four hours. Therefore, it is important to cool or heat foods through the danger zone of 4.4^oC to 60^oC as rapidly as possible.

C.perfringens was found in 7 samples of meat pies (17.5%) and in 5 samples of poultry pies (12.5%) (Table 6). Alexander and Tittiger (1971) reported that clostridia were found in low numbers in some samples of meat pies.

C.perfriongens can grow over a wide range of temperature, but grows very slowly at low temperatures, these bacterial spores will germinate and grow best at temperatures between 37.7◦ C and 47.2◦C.

Many foods such as meat and poultry may carry the organism, but the mere presence of C.perfringens in food is not enough to cause illness. Millions of growing cells are needed. The prevention of growth of this organism is best accomplished by following the standard food service practices of rapidly chilling prepared foods in shallow containers and keeping cold food cold and hot food hot, also reduce the level of contamination by keeping all work areas clean and sanitary (Estes et al., 2003).

Results given in Table 6 revealed that 7.5% of E-coli were isolated from 3 out of 40 samples of meat pies and 12.5% were isolated from 5 out of 40 sampels of poultry pies. Alexander and Tittiger (1971) reported that the incidence of samples (Meat pies) containing coliform was high (81.6%), while Yah Clarene et al. (2009) cited the count of E.coli in meat pies as 2 x 10³ CFU/g.

According to Edema et al. (2001), Okonko   et al. (2008 a, b) the presence of E.coli in food is an indication of faecal contamination of the water sources that were utilized in the processing of these food products. Also Edema et al. (2005) reported that biological contaminants of bacterial origin present as major cause of foodborne disease given rise to acute to chronic illnesses such as E.coli gastroenteritis, brucellosis and campylobacteriosis.

Listeria monocytogenes was detected in our study in 15% of meat pies and in 22.5% of poultry pies (Table 6).

This organism is a food infection bacteria gaining in public awareness as a safety problem in food products. The general growth conditions required are oxygen, temperatures ranging from 2.7 C° to 40 C° and a pH range of 5.6 to 9.8, since Listeria can grow at refrigerated temperatures. The organism is generally destroyed by heat treatment, 76.6 °C for 15 seconds. Proper personal hygiene, good sanitation, proper cooking and preventing cross contamination of raw and cooked food are the best control measures known to date (Estes et al., 2003).

Thus to safeguard against the risks of detected microorganisms, there is need to educate and advocate for good manufacturing practices among food processors and food vendors.

Betty and Richard 1994, said that food poisoning / illnesses are entirely preventable by practicing good sanitation and food handling techniques.                            

In conclusion, a mong the requirement of any food to be of good sanitary quality, it must be free from hazardous microorganisms, or these present should be at a safe level. Therefore, standards for composition and bacterial content are now adopted by nearly all countries. so that public may be assured of a safe healthful product.

The information given by the achieved results proved that most of the examined meat and poultry pies contained valiable numbers and types of microorganisms which may be responsible for inferior quality of the product and increase the risk of public health. Therefore, food safety standards should be applied and Hazard Analysis Critical Point (HACCP) should be applied throughout processing and distribution of the product.

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