Makara Journal of Health Research (Oct 2010)
Microbiological analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Cow’s Products during the Production Process
Abstract
The problem on food health is the high amount of bacterial contamination of food served by several kinds of food sellers, e.g. vendors, restaurants, caterers and food industries. Meat and milk products are kinds of food prone to contamination. To secure food against contamination by bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, especially related to raw food, should begin with the securing of products through the whole production process till it reaches the consumers. Although these pathogenic bacteria are part of the normal flora in the intestines of cattle, however we should be aware of the possibility of an outbreak in the community due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination of beef products. To anticipate the danger of an outbreak a study should be conducted to know about this microorganism from the beginning i.e. the production phase until the seller phase. The aim of this research is to know the existence of E. coli O157:H7 on beef and milk products obtained from abattoirs, cow ranches, traditional markets and other sellers in addition with knowing the influencing factors on the spreading of the microorganism. The survey design used for this research is the cross sectional design. The material used for the tests are 250 ml water/milk and 250 gram beef/carcass. The bacterial tests included qualitative tests as follows: presumptive test, confirmed test, completed test, whereas quantitatively tests as follows: Total Plate Cound (TPC), Most Probable Number (MPN), which is a near amount prediction of bacteria per 100 ml of water. Results showed that all meat (100%) coming from abattoirs and traditional markets were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, in addition with most of the fresh and pasteurized milk samples (73.3%) coming from cattle ranches and home industries. Contamination was also found in most of the water samples (60%) and in food handlers (41.7%).
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