Evaluation of hygienic quality of market meat

Abstract

With a view to investigate the hygienic quality of market meat in and around Trichur town the present study was undertaken. Eighty four samples of meat were tested for detecting total aerobic plate count, count of coliforms, Escherichia coli, Faecal streptococci and clostridium perfringens.

Eighty four samples of beef obtained from different meat stalls had aerobic plate count ranging from 30 x 106 150 x 106 organism per gram of meat. Kerala Agricultural University Slaughter House (USH) gave the minimum count in comparison with other three places such as Panchayat meat stall, Mannuthy, Municipal Meat stall at west fort and East fort. The maximum count recorded from west fort sample had a count 150 x 106 organism per gram of meat.

Coliform count (MPN) ranged between 1.2 x 105 and 160 x 105 per 100 grams of meat. The maximum count obtained was from samples of East fort and minimum was that from USH. E.Coli count ranged from 800 to 8800 organisms per gram of meat. The proportion of E.coli in the samples was corresponding to the APC in respect of the source of collection. All the randomly tested E.coli colonies were indole producing, MR positive and VP and citrate negative . Ninety per cent of them were Eijkman positive indicating they were typical coliforms.

Faecal streptococci were present in all except one sample. The count ranged between ‘0’ and 110000 organisms per gram of meat. On testing the colonies by certain biochemical test, the result that the isolates were mostly of animals origin. About 15 samples were free from clostridium perfringens and count ranged between zero and 2000 organisms per gram of meat.

The counts had shown that among the samples collected, those from USH had significantly low count in respect of all organisms studied. Similar result was seen in case of the bacterial quality of water samples collected from all the four places.

Seventeen carcases were subjected to spray washing with different levels of chlorine such as 10, 20 and 50ppm. The meat samples were collected from the surface, before and 15 minutes after spraying, and they were processed for estimating the bacterial load. A reduction in bacterial load was observed by spray washing with water containing 10, 20 and 50 ppm chlorine to the extent of 24.8, 59.9 and 77.9 percent respectively and were significant at one per cent level. Water with 50ppm chlorine was found to be the best for washing carcase reduction in bacterial load without affecting its physical appearance and acceptability.