Microbiological Quality of Raw Meat Balls: Produced and Sold in the Eastern of Turkey

Abstract

Raw meat ball is a traditional raw meat product which is consumed particularly in the region of southeast and other parts of Turkey. Since raw meat ball is made from raw ground beef and consumed without cooking, it can be a risk factor for the consumers in terms of foodborne infections and toxications. Thus, its microbiological quality was examined. In ground beef samples, total aerob mesophiles, Staphylococci and Micrococci spp., S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, coliform, Enterococci spp., Pseudomonas spp., B. cereus, Yeast-Mould, E. coli, and E. coli 0157 H7 were counted at the average of 3.4x10⁴, 2.2x10², 1.6x10¹, 1.4x10³, 2.0x10¹, 8.0x10², 9.2x10³, 1.2x10¹, 4.6x10⁴, 3.8x10³, and <2.0x10² cfu/g, respectively. Salmonella spp., were determined at the levels of 24.0 % (12 samples). Based on the Salmonella spp. and E. coli numbers, 24% and 2% samples did not comply with the TFC (Turkish Food Codex) criteria for ground beef, respectively, while all samples did according to the numbers of total aerobic mesophile, E. coli O157 H7 and S. aureus. In raw meat ball samples total aerob mesophiles, Staphylococci and Micrococci spp, S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, coliform, Enterococci spp., Pseudomonas spp., B. cereus, Yeast-Mould, E. coli, and E. coli 0157 H7 were determined at the average of 4.3x10⁶, 1.0x10⁵, 6.3x10³, 4.8x10⁵, 1.7x10⁴, 3.1x10⁵, 7.9x10³, 1.5x10¹, 6.7x10⁵, 1.2x10³, and <2.0x10² cfu/g, respectively. Salmonella spp., were determined at the levels of 36.0 % (18 samples). Based on the numbers of Salmonella spp., E. coli and S. aureus, 36 %, 8 %, and 28 % samples did not comply with the TFC criteria for raw meat ball, respectively, where as they did according to the numbers of E. coli O157 H7. We conclude that consumption of raw meat ball poses a risk of foodborne infections or toxication due to its raw meat content for human health.