Beef Samples Research Articles

Antioxidant activity of venison subjected to in vitro cooking and gastrointestinal digestion and isolation of its 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging peptides.

Venison, a type of game meat, has several health benefits because it contains not only high protein and low fat but also bioactive peptides with several physiological properties, including antioxidative and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant activity of venison treated by in vitro cooking and gastrointestinal digestion. We subjected venison along with pork and beef to in vitro cooking and digestion and assessed their antioxidant activity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH-RS) and hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC) assays. The peptide contents of all types of cooked and digested meat samples were higher than those of the untreated and cooked samples. The DPPH-RS activities and H-ORAC of digested venison, pork, and beef were increased compared with those of untreated samples. DPPH-RS activity was significantly higher in the digested venison samples than in the digested pork and beef samples. In this study, several fractions of digested venison from the chromatography exhibited DPPH-RS activity. Peptide analysis, using liquid-chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, unveiled two peptides DIDDLELTLAK and TQTVCNFTDGALVQHQEWDGK with high DPPH-RS activities. Thus, venison is a rich source of antioxidant peptides and potentially demonstrate an antioxidation ability by digestive enzymes in vivo.

Comparing the use of chloroform to petroleum ether for Soxhlet extraction of fat in meat

Context Soxhlet extraction is commonly used for determining fat content of meat, because it is the basis of the AOAC Final Action method for this analysis. Petroleum ether is used as an extraction solvent but other solvents, such as chloroform, can be used. Chloroform has been stated to be a safer solvent than petroleum ether and is used extensively for Soxhlet extraction for meat research in Australia; yet, there has been no report that validates its use for this purpose. Aim To compare the use of chloroform with that of petroleum ether as an extraction solvent for Soxhlet fat extraction in beef. Methods The fat content of six beef samples, reported as chemical lean (CL, 100 – %fat), was determined using Soxhlet fat extraction with chloroform (by two independent research providers) and petroleum ether (b.p. 40–60°C, using three commercial providers). Passing–Bablok regression and Bland–Altman plot analysis were used to identify any differences and bias between the methods respectively. Key results Passing–Bablok regression showed that there was no difference between the use of chloroform and the use of petroleum ether as a solvent for Soxhlet fat extraction in beef. Bland–Altman plot analysis indicated that there was no bias evident between the uses of each solvent. Thus, this would indicate that chloroform can be used as a solvent for Soxhlet fat extraction, providing equivalency to petroleum ether. While some minor differences were apparent, this is most likely attributable to sample heterogeneity. Conclusions Chloroform was found to provide equivalency to petroleum ether for fat extraction from meat. While some minor differences were apparent in the fat content of meat, this has been attributed to likely sample heterogeneity. Implications Chloroform can be used as an extraction solvent for Soxhlet fat extraction of beef.

Effects of different storage temperatures on microbial spoilage and bacterial community structure of fresh beef by high-throughput sequencing technology

Comparsion of the effects of the chilling (4 ºC), superchilling (-2 ºC) and frozen (-18 ºC) storage on microbial spoilage and bacterial community structure of fresh beef was evaluated by high-throughput sequencing technology in this study. The results indicated that storage temperature can significantly affect the degree of microbial spoilage and bacterial community structure of fresh beef during storage. At the species level, the primary dominant bacterial species in beef samples was Pseudomonas fragi with relative abundance of 37.78% followed by Myroides phaeus and Brochothrix thermosphacta with 10.95% and 4.64%, respectively, at the beginning of storage. Both superchilling and frozen storage can effectively inhibit the growth of P. fragi, while the chilling storage failed to demonstrate strong inhibition for growth of P. fragi. Similar result was found for Myroides phaeus. The chilling, superchilling and frozen storage can not effectively inhibit the growth of Brochothrix thermosphacta and Acinetobacter johnsonii. The difference of microbial spoilage in beef stored in three kinds of storage may be related to the difference of the bacterial community structure and the formation of dominant spoilage bacteria. These results revealed that superchilling and frozen storage can effectively inhibit the formation of dominant spoilage bacteria, resulting in a good freshness preservation.

Molecular detection of beef adulteration in mutton by duplex polymerase chain reaction

A duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was evaluated for detection of beef adulteration in mutton. A total of 22 fresh longissimus dorsi muscle samples each of mutton and beef was collected in December, 2020 from 15 retail shops located in and around Chennai. Meat sample was taken in different proportions (mutton :beef) as 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50 and 0:100. PCR amplified with species-specific primers for cytochrome b gene revealed species-specific bands at 331 and 274 bp for mutton and beef, respectively. The primers used in the study amplified the corresponding sequence of cytochrome b gene for the different proportions of meat and beef samples. From the study, it can be concluded that duplex PCR is a reliable technique to detect the adulteration of fresh and adulterated samples of mutton and beef.

Coliform Contamination of Raw Beef at the Slaughterhouse and Butchery Levels in Herat City, Afghanistan

Background: Contaminated food products are responsible for causing various food borne diseases all over the world. Microbial contaminants are present in various food products, particularly raw meat. Among the most common microbial contaminants in meat and meat products are coliform bacteria. This study aimed to determine the coliform quality of raw beef with special emphasis on Escherichia coli in Herat city, Afghanistan and to compare the coliform contamination levels in the slaughterhouse and butchery levels. Materials and Methods: In this study, 150 samples of raw beef were randomly selected from butcheries and slaughterhouses of Herat city. Coliform identification was performed by standard bacteriological methods. Findings: The findings of this study revealed that coliform bacteria were detected in 70% and 75 % of beef samples from slaughterhouses and butcheries respectively. A total of 58 % of positive samples were upon the standard accepted ratio of coliforms contaminant per gram. The E. coli contamination ratio of samples in slaughterhouses and butcheries were 52% and 72% respectively. Our study demonstrates a significant difference in coliform bacteria contamination between slaughterhouse samples and butcheries. Conclusion: It was concluded that more than half of the coliform contamination in raw beef from the slaughterhouse and butcheries was exceeded the maximum limit which highlights the need to focus on effective monitoring of the slaughterhouse and butcheries in Herat city for prevention of meat borne intoxication and infection.

Noncontact Detection Method for Food Texture Assessment Based on Air Puff Combined With Structured Light Imaging

Given the shortcomings of subjectivity and destructiveness associated with traditional methods of measuring food texture parameters (such as fruit firmness and meat tenderness) when using a texture meter, a non-contact measurement method utilizing an Air-puff combined with Structured Light Imaging (ASLI) was proposed in this study. First, the finite element simulation method was used to simulate the airflow impact model and optimize the ranges of the angle and distance parameters. The detection device was then developed, and binocular 3D phenotype acquisition and 3D feature extraction algorithms were investigated. Denoising, point cloud segmentation, greedy projection triangulation, Delaunay triangulation, and surface fitting algorithms were used to process the point cloud, and concave parameters such as depth, mapping area, surface area, and volume of the concave area on the beef surface were obtained. Finally, four typical samples with different meat (beef and chicken) and fruit (kiwifruit and peach) parameters were tested. Five machine learning methods were used to model and analyze the correlation among texture parameters. The results revealed that the model established by the ensemble learning modeling method with extracted concave parameters possessed the highest accuracy. The prediction accuracy of the shear force values of the beef and chicken samples were 0.92 and 0.91. The accuracy of meat and fruit grading was 0.942 and 1.0. Therefore, the non-contact detection method proposed in this study to determine food texture characteristics based on airflow can be used to replace the traditional texture analyzer in food engineering and exhibits good application potential.

Comparison of different DNA preparatory methods for development of a universal direct PCR-RFLP workflow for identification of meat origin in food products

The quality and quantity of the extracted DNA are two key aspects for a successful PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification. Moreover, reduction in time and cost required for DNA extraction are also two considerable factors, in cases when large number of samples are to be analyzed within a limited time-frame and budget. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare and optimize performance of five different DNA extraction methods by boiling meat tissues from cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, chicken, camel, horse and dog in PBS (Phosphate Buffer Saline), distilled water, alkaline lysis buffers 1, 2 or 3. The results indicated that the boiling of meat and its products in alkaline lysis buffers was a good method to extract crude DNA. The optimized crude DNA extraction protocol was coupled with PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis for meat species differentiation. This developed workflow was tested on fifty-three commercial beef and mutton samples, out of which three samples were found to be adulterated. In conclusion, the rapid crude DNA extraction protocol has led to the development of a direct PCR-RFLP workflow that is simple, time-saving and cost-effective for PCR-based identification of different meat species.

Determination of Consumer Color and Discoloration Thresholds for Purchase of Retail Ground Beef When Evaluating Multiple Days of Display Simultaneously

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the threshold for color and discoloration for consumers to purchase ground beef in a simulated retail display and to determine the best objective measurement to predict consumer purchase intent. Study Description: For this study, 180 1-lb 80% lean/20% fat ground beef packages were assigned to a day of retail display (day 0–9). Consumers (n = 216) and trained descriptive panelists evaluated ground beef samples from each day of display simultaneously. Instrumental L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) values were collected, and spectral data were recorded. Logistic and simple linear regression models were calculated for consumer likelihood to purchase and appearance ratings. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for all measurements. The Bottom Line: The models generated from this study provide the ability to predict consumer willingness to purchase ground beef of varying days of retail display and provide ground beef producers an indication of potential consumer purchasing behaviors based upon objective values that are easy to measure.

Screening of beef and raw cow milk from central Kerala for Campylobacter spp. using multiplex PCR

Campylobacter spp. is considered one of the leading causes of diarrhoeal disease. Due to the prevalence of this organism in the gut microbiota of all warm-blooded animals, the chance of contamination is more through animal products. The present study was conducted to assess the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in milk and beef of central Kerala. A total of 200 beef and 200 raw cow milk samples were collected from various retail outlets and milk societies of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. Campylobacter spp. were isolated by conventional culture technique on Modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar. A molecular technique targeting the genusspecific 16S rRNA gene further confirmed the culture and biochemically positive isolates. The species-specific mapA and ceuE genes were targeted for C. jejuni and C. coli, respectively. None of the milk samples collected were positive for Campylobacter spp. However, three per cent of beef samples were tested positive for Campylobacter spp.

Detection and health risk assessment of toxic heavy metals in chilled and frozen meat collected from Sharkia province in Egypt.

The consumption of meat is a fundamental aspect of global diets, providing essential nutrients and proteins vital for human nutrition. However, ensuring the safety of meat products has become progressively challenging due to potential contamination by toxic heavy metals (HMs) and pathogenic microorganisms. This study focuses on assessing the prevalence of Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), and Cadmium (Cd), in chilled and frozen meat in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. A total of 30 samples, comprising 15 chilled and 15 frozen beef samples, were collected from various marketing stores in Sharkia. Analysis of toxic metals was conducted via atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) following wet digestion. The average levels (mg/kg) in chilled meat samples were found to be 0.64 ± 0.14 for Pb, undetectable for Hg, 0.02 ± 0.14 for Cd, and 4.66 ± 0.57 for As. In frozen samples, the average concentrations were 0.89 ± 0.21 for Pb, 0.08 ± 0.03 for Hg, 0.02 ± 0.004 Cd, and 5.32 ± 0.59 for As. Generally, the levels of HMs in frozen meat samples were observed to be higher than in chilled samples. Importantly, the levels of Pb were higher than maximum residual concentrations [maximum permissible limit (MPL)] in 53.3% of the chilled and 66.6% of the frozen, Cd levels in chilled and frozen were within the permissible concentrations in all samples, Hg was not identified in all the chilled and in 67% of frozen samples, and As levels were higher than the permissible levels in all samples chilled and frozen. The assessment of human health risk for adults revealed an estimated daily intake (EDI) value of beef meat below the threshold of the oral reference dose (RFD) for all analyzed metals except for As, where 46.7% of chilled samples and 60% of frozen samples exceeded the RFD. Furthermore, both the Hazard Quotient (THQ) for As and Hazard index (HI) for all the analyzed metals were above 1 in 33.3% of chilled samples and 46.7% of frozen samples. This indicates the remarkable adverse effects on human health associated with the consumption of meat with elevated levels of HMs, emphasizing the need for stringent quality control measures within the food industry.

Consumer Color and Discoloration Thresholds for Purchase of Retail Ground Beef When Evaluating Packages of a Single Day of Display

Objective: This study utilized a simulated retail display to investigate the impact of ground beef color and discoloration on consumer purchase intent, while identifying the best objective measurements to predict consumer preferences of ground beef on the same day of retail display. Study Description: For this study, 180 1-lb 80% lean/20% fat ground beef loaves were assigned to a specific day of retail display (day 0–9). Consumers (n = 318) and trained descriptive panelists assessed ground beef samples, with a single day of display evaluated per consumer group. Spectral data and L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) values were collected. Simple linear and logistic regressions were calculated for consumer ratings. Lastly, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for sensory and objective measurements. The Bottom Line: Consumer intent to purchase ground beef at varying days of retail display can be predicted by the objective measures used in this study. Moving forward, these models can provide ground beef producers and retailers with an indication of potential consumer purchasing behaviors for ground beef at varying levels of discoloration to prevent waste and maximize profits.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC O157:H7) in Raw Beef samples collected from abattoirs and Meat Vendors in Ile Ife and its environs, South-West, Nigeria

Nigeria bears a large burden of foodborne diseases in Africa, and the second leading causes of premature deaths in Africa is linked to diarrheal diseases. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 (EHEC O157:H7) causes an asymptomatic infection to severe diarrhea and/or hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans which are serious health conditions that calls for serious health concern. The present investigation was done to study the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from raw meat samples. Raw beef samples were collected from abattoirs and retail outlets in three local government areas (LGAs) in Ile- Ife axis namely: Ife North, Ife Central and Ife East for isolation and identification of EHEC O157:H7. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify EHEC O157:H7 and antibiotics susceptibility pattern was carried out on the isolates to determine their susceptibility or otherwise. EHEC O157 was detected in 16% of meat samples from Abbatoirs slabs and 33% from meat vendors and retailers. EHEC O157 was not detected in one of the beef samples obtained from a particular Abbatoir. The EHEC O157:H7 isolates were found to be most susceptible to meropenem (91.50%) followed by vancomycin (90.80%) and ceftazidime (88.8%). Isolates were found to be most resistant to ampicillin (90.85%), followed by chloramphenicol (86.93%) and cefixime (85.63%). Furthermore, isolates were resistant to a range of more than five antibiotics and three classes of antibiotics, depicting multi drug resistance pattern. Five isolates were resistant to ampicillin, two isolates to streptomycin and three isolates to chloramphenicol. One isolate was resistant to two drugs and another to three drugs. The present study shows a bit higher prevalence of EHEC O157 in beef sold directly at abattoirs. Considering, the high infective dose of this pathogen and the deep-rooted tradition of consuming raw or undercooked beef, the current prevalence should not be considered lightly from a public health perspective.

Nutritional Composition, Sensory Quality and Consumer Acceptability of Beef Sausage Fortified With Edible Meat Waste

This study assessed the proximate composition, sensory quality and consumer acceptability of beef sausage fortified with edible meat waste. Lean beef and edible meat waste (EMW) samples were obtained from commercial abattoir and combined in ratio 50:50 and 70:30 and designated as T1 and T2 respectively, while CT contained 90% lean meat and 10% fat. The fresh T1, T2 and CT sausages were thermal processed using microwave and oven-grilling cooking methods. The results showed significant difference in moisture, protein, lipid and ash content of raw and cooked sausages across treatments. Raw sausage fortified with EMW had higher protein and lower lipid contents compared to control treatment (90/10, CT). Cooking of the sausage significantly decreased moisture and increase lipid, protein and lipid content, with microwaved sausage having higher values. The results of sensory quality showed that beef sausage fortified with EMW were all acceptable to consumers, irrespective of the cooking methods used. The distribution of consumers who liked the appearance, colour, texture and flavour of the sausage meat containing EMW were higher than those who dislike the products. Therefore, this study shows that EMW could be successfully used in meat industry to improve quality of sausage during production.

Comparative evaluation of the sensory properties of fish and beef Kilishi (roasted) as food snacks

The organoleptic evaluation of kilishi produced from beef and fish was carried out to test the acceptability of fish kilishi as a possible replacement beef with fish in kilishi production, due to high cost of beef meat in relation fish. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in the prices of beef and fish meat of 50%. The same weight of beef and fish samples was processed separately with the same quantity and quality of ingredients, to obtain a beef and fish kilishi product of 10% moisture content. The sensory evaluation of the produced Kilishi was carried out using 9-point hedonic scale with thirty trained panellists. The data generated were subjected to ANOVA test at 0.05 significant level, using SPSS version 20. The mean result score by the panellists for fish kilishi based on colour, taste, aroma, texture and overall acceptability were 6.83±1.21, 6.40±1.48, 6.57±1.38, 6.93±1.26 and 7.37±0.99, respectively. While that of beef Kilishi were 7.50±0.90, 7.33±1.09, 7.23±1.10, 7.10±1.16 and 7.77±0.94, respectively. The beef kilishi had a general acceptability score of 7.77±0.94 which reads ‘like moderately’ while that of fish kilishi has a general acceptability score of 7.37±0.99 which reads ‘liked moderately’. This study shows that fish kilishi can serve as suitable alternative to beef kilishi as a cheap snack that can provide cheap source of animal protein there by improve the quality of people’s health.

Integration of Non-targeted Proteomics Mass Spectrometry with Machine Learning for Screening Cooked Beef Adulterated Samples

The degradation of ingredients in heat-processed meat products makes their authentication challenging. In this study, protein profiles of raw beef, chicken, duck, pork, and binary simulated adulterated beef samples (chicken-beef, duck-beef, and pork-beef) and their heat-processed samples were obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Heat-stable characteristic proteins were found by screening the overlapping characteristic protein ion peaks of the raw and corresponding heat-processed samples, which were discovered by partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Based on the 36 heat-stable characteristic proteins, qualitative classification for the raw and heat-processed meats was achieved by extreme gradient boosting. Moreover, quantitative analysis via partial least squares regression was applied to determine the adulteration ratio of the simulated adulterated beef samples. The validity of the approach was confirmed by a blind test with the mean accuracy of 97.4%. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of this method were determined to be 5 and 8%, respectively, showing its practical aspect for the beef authentication.

HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN BEEF COLLECTED FROM LOCAL MARKETS OF DHAKA AND ASSESSING THE HEALTH RISK

Around the world, beef is consumed as a healthy source of protein, fat, niacin, vitamins B6, B12, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. There is mounting evidence that beef is becoming increasingly contaminated with heavy metals, particularly lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr). The purpose of this study was to determine the amounts of the lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in beef. Five large markets in Dhaka city—Mirpur-1, New Market, Karwan Bazar, Kaptan Bazar, and town hall market of Mohammadpur—were chosen to gather samples of beef. In this study, the Pb and Cr content in beef was estimated by the Zeeman method using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer (GFAAS). The microwave digester finished the digestion of beef. The Pb and Cr content in beef were estimated in mg/kg. Total lead (Pb) content in a beef sample of Mirpur -1, New Market, Karwan Bazar, Kaptan Bazar and Mohammadpur was found to be 0.563±0.084, 0.845±0.127, 0.159±0.024, 0.063±0.009 and 0.143±0.021 mg/kg respectively (Minimum detection limit is 0.06 mg/kg). On the other hand, total chromium (Cr) content in beef sample from Mirpur -1 was found below the detection limit of the method (Minimum detection limit is 0.05 mg/kg). The Cr content in beef from New market, Karwan Bazar, Kaptan bazaar and Mohammadpur was found to be 0.05±0.007, 0.052±0.008, 0.121±0.018 and 0.053±0.008 mg/kg respectively. According to Codex Alimentarium Commission (CAC), the acceptable limit of lead content in beef is 0.1 mg/kg and there is no standard for chromium set by international organization like WHO/FAO, CAC. Brazil has set 0.1 mg/kg as permissible chromium content in beef (Ihedioha et al., 2014). Except for Kaptan Bazar, the chromium content was found to be within Brazil's permissible limit. Surprisingly, only Kaptan Bazar had acceptable lead content that was within the CAC limit. Bioresearch Commu. 9(1): 1196-1202, 2023 (January)

ANALYSIS OF QUALITY INDICATORS OF CHILLED AND FROZEN BEEF

ANALYSIS OF QUALITY INDICATORS OF CHILLED AND FROZEN BEEF

Comparison of physiochemical attributes, microbial community, and flavor profile of beef aged at different temperatures.

Beef aging for tenderness and flavor development may be accelerated by elevated temperature. However, little to no research has been undertaken that determines how this affects other important meat quality characteristics and microbial community. This study aims to decrease aging time by increasing temperature. Beef were aged and vacuum packaged at 10 and 15°C, and the effects of increased temperature on meat physiochemical attributes, microbial community, and flavor profile were monitored. The shear force decreased with aging in all temperature and showed the higher rate at elevated temperatures compare to 4°C. The beef aged at elevated temperatures (10 or 15°C) for 5 days showed equivalent shear force value to the beef aged at 4°C for 10 days (p > 0.05), however, the final tenderness was not affected by the elevated temperature. The beef aged at elevated temperatures showed a significantly higher cooking loss and less color stability compared to 4°C (p < 0.05). The total volatile basic nitrogen and aerobic plate count increased (p < 0.05) faster at elevated temperatures compare to 4°C. Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium were the dominant genus in the beef samples aged at 4, 10, and 15°C, respectively. In addition, the contents of isobutyraldehyde, 3-methylbutyraldehyde, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, and 3-methylbutanol were higher than aged at 4°C (p < 0.05). Therefore, these results suggest that application of elevated aged temperatures could shorten required aging time prior while not adversely affecting meat quality. In turn, this will result in additional cost savings for meat processors.

Effect of potassium tellurite concentration in a chromogenic agar medium on isolation of tellurite-resistant “Top Seven” Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from ground beef

The effect of potassium tellurite concentration in a chromogenic agar medium on the detection of tellurite-resistant “top seven” Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in beef was evaluated. Samples of ground beef were inoculated with tellurite-resistant STEC O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, or O157 strains at geometric mean (±standard error of the mean) levels of 0, 49 (±1), 490 (±1), or 4900 (±1) CFU/10 g and enriched 1:10 (90 mL) in EC broth (40°C for 6 h). Following enrichment, aliquots of broth culture were treated by immunomagnetic separation with one of three pools of beads against STEC serogroups; pool I: O26, O45, and O121; pool II: O103, O111, and O145; and pool III: O157. After immunomagnetic separation, 50 μL of washed bead suspensions in buffered peptone water was spiral plated onto a modified Possé medium containing 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/L potassium tellurite, and incubated at 37°C for 18 h. Up to four isolated colonies were picked from each spiral plate based on expected colony phenotypes for STEC, and isolate identity was confirmed with an 11-plex PCR assay targeting the O serogroups and virulence genes. Overall, across all inoculum levels and strains, modified Possé media containing 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/L potassium tellurite each had a positive predictive value of 100%, and medium containing 0.5 mg/L potassium tellurite had numerically the highest sensitivity (100%) and negative predictive value (100%), which was significantly different from 1.5 mg/L (92.9% and 40.0%, respectively; P < 0.05). Similarly, there was an inverse relationship between potassium tellurite concentration and analytical specificity (number of colonies tested that were STEC-positive): 0.5 (1463 of 1482; 98.7%), 1.0 (1356 of 1411; 96.1%), and 1.5 mg/L (1187 of 1278; 92.9%; P < 0.05). These results suggest that 0.5 mg/L gives better performance than 1.0 or 1.5 mg/L of potassium tellurite in Possé medium for isolation of tellurite-resistant “top seven” STEC from ground beef.

PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOGRAM OF Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus AND Shigella Species ISOLATED FROM RETAILED MEAT (BEEF AND CHICKEN) SOLD IN IHIALA TOWN, NIGERIA

The prevalence of some pathogenic bacteria in retailed meats is becoming a major challenge to human health. The main factor contributing to the contamination of retailed meats, especially in Africa, is poor hygienic practices amongst meat vendors. Poor personal hygiene amongst food handlers coupled with the improper handling of meat could result in its contamination. This study reviewed the prevalence and antibiogram of Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella species isolated from retailed meats sold in Ihiala town. 50 raw meat samples (25 beef and 25 chicken) were used, they were homogenized in a buffer and inoculated in two selective media (SSA and MSA). The bacterial isolates were further identified after various biochemical tests. It was observed that Staphylococcus aureus occurred more (45.3%) in the samples used, also the beef samples were seen to contain more microorganisms than the chicken samples. After the Antibiotics susceptibility test, it was discovered that Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella species and Salmonella species were resistant to some antibiotics. It is therefore expedient that meat vendors take caution when handling meats, so as to prevent meats from being contaminated with these drug resistant bacteria, thereby preventing health challenges.