Studies on the Microbiological Quality of Meat Products with Special Reference to the Bacterial Flora of Public Health Implications

Abstract

Murugkar, H.V., Sherikar, A.T., Paturkar, A.M. and Tarwate, B.G. 1993. Studies on the microbiological quality of meat products with special reference to the bacterial flora of public health implications. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 4: 91–97.

A total of 276 samples comprising of 108 samples each of poultry and pork products and 60 samples of mutton products were analysed for their Total Viable Counts (TVC) and for number of B.cereus, S.aureus, Cperfringens, Shigella spp, faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci and for the presence of Salmonella spp. In general the pork products revealed higher TVC as compared to the mutton and poultry products inspite of the fact that all of them were either cooked or smoked Presence of pathogens like salmonella indicated substandard hygiene during processing storage and retailing and risk to consumers.

Key words:

• Poultry
• pork
• mutton products
• bacterial count