BACTERIOGICAL QUALITY OF PORK MEAT MARKETED IN DHARAN SUB-METROPOLITAN CITY

Abstract

The present work was undertaken to assess the bacterial quality of pork meat marketed in Dharan sub-metropolitan city. Pork meat, swabs of knives, swabs of chopping board and swabs of hands of butchers were examined for microbiological parameters (TPC, total Coliforms, E. coli, S. aureus, Salmonella and Shigella). A survey with the help of questionnaire was done to assess the sanitary condition and personal hygiene of meat shops and butchers. Average value for TPC of meat sample was found to 181×105 cfu/g. The average coliform, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts were 918×103 , 862 and 473×101 cfu/g respectively. Except three samples, all samples were found to be infected with Salmonella where as six out of seven samples were found to be contaminated with Shigella. The average value for total plate count of Chopping board, knives and palms of butchers were found to be 287×102 , 494×101 and 274×102 cfu/cm2 respectively. The average coliform, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts of chopping boards were found to be 133×101 , 50 and 14×101 cfu/cm2 . The average Coliform, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts of knives were found to be 106×101 , 54 and 80 cfu/cm2 . The average coliform, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts of the palms of butchers were found to be 176×101 , 198 and 271 cfu/cm2 . Five swabs of chopping board, six swabs of knives and three swabs of hands were Salmonella free. Out of seven swab samples four samples of chopping board, one sample of knives and two samples of hands Shigella was detected from .The field survey of 35 meat shops showed that the hygienic condition of meat sold in Dharan metropolitan city was found unsatisfactory