Evaluation of Microbial Load of Beef of Arsi Cattle in Adama Town, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Adama town, on carcass samples collected from the Arsi breed of cattle with the objective of evaluating beef microbiological qualities with standard procedures. Carcass samples were randomly chosen at abattoir using systematic random sampling techniques. On the night carcass sampling about 125 cattle were slaughtered and the carcass samples were chosen on every 10 counting. Beef samples were aseptically excised and collected from all parts of the exposed body of carcasses. The methods described by the Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL) were adopted to analyze each of the parameters considered. Aerobic plate count, total coliform count and fecal coliform counts were significantly different among different sampling days and batches of samples (P<0.05). The mean AP, Total coliform, Fecal coliform, E. coli and staphylococci counts were 1.62×105, 5.29×101, 9.05×101, 8.97×101 and 5.54×105, respectively. Salmonella and Shigella bacteria were not isolated per 25 g samples. In Adama, carcasses are normally transported to the butchers’ shop either in vans, minibus, taxi, three wheel motor cycle and horse-cart. This exposes the meat to a number of pathogens some of which may be pathogenic. Therefore, since the general hygienic condition of the abattoir and carcass harvesting process was poor, beef consumers in Adama are advised to eat properly cooked beef to avoid intoxication due microbes.