Fitness of Some Meat Products for Human Consumption in Relation to Their Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Quality in the Egyptian Market

Abstract

Physico-chemical and microbiological quality of meat products are the main acceptability issue to the consumers. So, the current study aimed to determine the acceptability and fitness of four restructured meat products for human consumption based on their sensory, keeping quality and bacteriological quality trough examination of one-hundred and sixty random samples of minced meat, sausage, beef burger and frankfurter (40 of each), which were collected from different supermarkets located in Menoufia governorate, Egypt, and were examined according to standard guidelines. Results revealed that the examined burger and frankfurter samples revealed higher acceptability scores than those of minced meat and sausage samples. In addition, although it revealed lower pH values, minced meat samples had the lowest keeping quality with significant higher TVN and TBA values than the recorded results of the other examined samples. Moreover, the bacteriological examinations revealed detection of Salmonella and E. coli were detected in 20% and 25%; 17.5% and 20%; 12.5% and 12.5%; 5.0% and 7.5% for the examined minced meat, sausage, burger and frankfurter samples, respectively. In addition, S. aureus was counted (CFU/g) in the examined samples with mean values of 1.98×103, 9.64×102, 5.03×102 and 2.16×102 CFU/g for the same examined samples, respectively. Furthermore, minced meat was the most contaminated samples with Pseudomonas and Aeromonas spp., where P. fluorescens and A. sorbia were the most isolated strains in the examined samples. Meat and meat product safety and acceptability are of a major concern as commercial foods. Minced meat showed lower acceptability levels than the other examined samples, with higher contamination levels. So, monitoring of the chemical and bacteriological quality of restructured meat products is significantly helping in its improvement.