Study of Bacterial Contamination of Raw Meat in Hyderabad

Abstract

An attempt was made to isolate bacteria from fresh and unprocessed meat products from various butcher shops across the city and identify them. Bacterial colonies were isolated from 100 meat samples including fish and poultry meat. The bacteria isolated from them were identified by using phenotypic, biochemical and molecular characterization. The fidelity of the contamination does not depend only on the microbial quantity but also on the physical factors such as handling of the meat products. As per the findings, to keep up a trust on the food we consume, making sure that there is no taint via bacterial cross contamination in meat and meat products, we need to have strict handling methods. To avoid defiling of products there should be strict quality control checks at slaughterhouses, markets, and butchers should be aware of cleanliness and techniques behind it and the sterilization methods. Meat was found to be more contaminated than eggs. Eggs only need to be washed and sterilized and stored in bacterial resistant packaging. We observed 44% Enterococcus fecalis, 40% Klebsiella oxytoca, E. coli 10%, Pseudomonad as mirabilis 4% and some unidentified bacteria in meat samples.