title: Microbial quality of popular locally processed meats sold in retail outlets in Trinidad, West Indies.
abstract: A total of 480 samples of locally produced processed meats, including chicken franks, chicken bologna, and bacon from brands A and B, was collected from 8 supermarkets across the island of Trinidad over a 1-year period and subjected to a range of microbiological analyses. The results showed that 54.2, 0.4, and 1.7% of the samples exceeded recommended limits for aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Listeria spp. were detected in 19.4% of samples, whereas L. monocytogenes was present at a prevalence rate of 7.5%. Brand A products had lower microbiological quality, accounting for 100% of samples positive for L. monocytogenes, E. coli, and S. aureus; and 75% for Listeria spp. and coliforms. Bacon was the product that most frequently exceeded microbiological limits, and accounted for 100% of samples positive for E. coli, 83.3% for L. monocytogenes, 72% for Listeria spp., 62.5% for S. aureus, and 61.9% for coliforms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Stacey-Marie
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Syne
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. adash.ramsubhag@sta.uwi.edu.
authors.forename: Adash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramsubhag
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Abiodun A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adesiyun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008087:Listeria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago