Evaluation of Frozen Meat and Meat Products Marketed in Bab El-Louk Market

Abstract

A total of 105 random samples of frozen meat and meat products represented by Beef burger, frozen meat,hawawshi, kofta, luncheon, minced meat and oriental Sausage (15 of each) were collected from "Bab El-Louk". The collected samples were kept in an ice box and directly transferred to laboratory under aseptic condition and examined for sensory evaluation (appearance, odour, texture, over all acceptability), deterioration criteria (pH, TVB-N, TBA), microbiological evaluation (total bacterial count, psychrotrophic count, coliformscountand totalstaphylococcal count, total yeast and mould count. in addition to isolation and identification of Staph. aureus, E. coliand Salmonellaand histological examination. Based on sensory attributes score 56.19% of all examined samples are accepted. TVB-N ranged from 15.51–20.54 mg% with hawawshi samples showed the highest value. TBA values of examined samples ranged from 0.52 to 0.69 mg malonaldehyde/kg with no significance difference could be established among all examined samples. Microbial counts of all examined samples exceeded ESS permissible limits. All samples showed psychrotrophic bacterial count above 4log10cfu/g was minced meat significant higher than other examined samples (5.1log10cfu/g). All examined samples exceeded the permissible limit stated in ESS for coliforms counts.The highest yeast count recorded for hawawshi (3.44) and the lowest record for luncheon (2.4). The highest mould count record 3.35 in minced meat while the lowest mould record for beef burger (2.5). Staph. aureusandE. coliwere isolated from 20% of examined samples, while Salmonella could be isolated from 10,48% of samplesand failed to be isolated from beef burger and luncheon samples.Histological examination of meat products was produced from low quality meat according to its content of connective tissues. Parts of prohibited tissues like liver, skin, bone, cartilage, trachea, soya and plant tissues were detected in examined samples.Frozen meat and meat products marketed in Bab El-Louk are of high risk and low quality and constitute a major health hazard for consumers