title: Microbiological quality and sample collection policy for dairy products in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district, Palestine.
abstract: We aimed to identify bacterial pathogens/contaminants in dairy product samples collected by environmental health inspectors of the Palestinian Ministry of Health from 2001-04. A total of 722 samples of dairy products were randomly collected from different sources in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district. The percentages of unacceptable samples for the combined years were: 23.0% for total aerobic count, 21.0% for total coliforms, 15.2% for faecal coliforms, 1.0% for Staphylococcus aureus, 10.3% for moulds, 2.3% for yeasts and 14.3% for Escherichia coli. All the examined samples tested negative for Salmonella spp. Total aerobic counts rose continuously between 2001 and 2004.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine. ikhatib@birzeit.edu
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Khatib
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Al-Mitwalli
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005513:Food Inspection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification