Microbial quality control of raw ground beef and fresh sausage in Casablanca (Morocco).
In this study, samples of raw ground beef (n = 150) and fresh sausage (n = 100) were collected randomly from butcheries, supermarkets, and fast-food shops, in Casablanca, Morocco. Two types of meat product samples were considered, one with spices (n = 115) and other without spices (n = 135). All the samples were analyzed for the presence of the following bacteria: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes. E. coli strains were further typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), Operon O, and characterized for virulence genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results indicated that counts of E. coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, and C. perfringens were 17%, 9.6%, and 8.7% in samples without spices, respectively; and 23.5%, 23.7%, and 29.6% in samples with spices, respectively. Two pathogenic genes, LT and EAST, were identified separately in four strains of E. coli. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were isolated in 2.8% and 3.2% of the total samples, respectively.
Cohen
Nozha
N
Microbiology and Food Safety Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco. nozha.cohen@pasteur.ma
Filliol
Ingrid
I
Karraouan
Bouchra
B
Badri
Samira
S
Carle
Isabelle
I
Ennaji
Hayat
H
Bouchrif
Brahim
B
Hassar
Mohammed
M
Karib
Hakim
H
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D009018:Morocco; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification