The prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in frozen and fresh goat meat The demand for goat meat is on the rise in the U.S. A common concern in the production and harvest of animals for human consumption is the presence of foodborne pathog

Abstract

The demand for goat meat is on the rise in the U.S. A common concern in the production and harvest of animals for human consumption is the presence of foodborne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. As an “under-researched food vehicle”, there are minimal strategies for the control and prevention of foodborne pathogens with goat meat. Freezing can be an effective way of preventing microbial growth in meat, but it does not eradicate bacteria. Five samples of fresh and frozen goat meat, respectively, were collected and utilized in prevalence determination and microbial quality comparison. Using selective and differential media, 25 grams from each sample were tested for both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Three of five frozen samples contained E. coli O157:H7 suspects (p = 0.08377); whereas no E. coli O157:H7 suspects were detected with the fresh samples. Two fresh samples and one frozen sample were indicative of the presence of Salmonella. Frozen samples were more heavily contaminated than fresh samples, but overall, there was a low prevalence of these bacteria in the two meat types. These findings could be further substantiated with the inclusion of larger sample size and more confirmative tests.