title: The microbiological condition of minced pork prepared at retail stores in Athens, Greece.
abstract: Minced pork samples (n = 150) obtained from butchers' shops and supermarkets in Greece, during summer (n = 75) and winter (n = 75), were subjected to microbiological analysis. Microbial counts (log CFU/g) for the parameters tested were: total viable count (TVC), 6.8 ± 1.0; Pseudomonas spp., 6.4 ± 1.2; Brochothrix thermosphacta, 5.9 ± 1.1; lactic acid bacteria, 5.3 ± 1.0; yeasts and moulds, 4.6 ± 0.7; hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S)-producing bacteria, 4.3 ± 1.3; Enterobacteriaceae, 3.6 ± 1.2; total coliforms, 2.9 ± 1.1; Escherichia coli, 1.4 ± 0.7; Staphylococcus spp., 4.3 ± 1.0; S. aureus, 2.4 ± 0.9, and Listeria spp., 1.4 ± 0.6. The highest correlations were between TVC and pseudomonads, B. thermosphacta and H(2)S-producing bacteria, while the lowest were between total coliforms and all other groups of microorganisms except Enterobacteriaceae. The type of retail outlet and the seasonality of sampling did not have any significant effects (p>0.05) on minced pork meat quality. Interrelationships between (i) meat quality and shelf life, (ii) hygienic conditions during mince preparation and (iii) personnel hygiene were revealed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Quality Control & Hygiene, Department of Food Science & Technology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-118 55 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Andritsos
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mataragas
authors.forename: Elpida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mavrou
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stamatiou
authors.forename: Eleftherios H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Drosinos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003132:Commerce / Q000592:standards*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety / Q000592:standards*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000592:standards*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013552:Swine