DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2017.v04i03.006

Pages: 119-122

Microbial contamination on beef meat can be influenced by many factors during slaughtering and handling before the meat is finally ready-to-eat. The current study was conducted to investigate bacteria that can be encountered in contamination of beef in 4 small butcheries in Alhaj Yousif area, Khartoum state, the Sudan. Eighty swab samples were collected from meat, butchers’ hands, and surfaces of tables, cutting boards, and knives. The total viable count (TVC) of the contaminating bacteria was preformed as well as isolation and identification. The results revealed no statistically significant difference between the TVCs reported from the meat, butchers’ hands, and surfaces of tables, cutting boards, and knives and were between 5.23±0.03 and 5.32±0.07 log10 cfu/cm-2 or g. E. coli was found in 52.5% (n=42) of the samples and Salmonella species in 53.8% (n=43). In conclusion, the reported TVC levels were higher than the acceptable and raising the awareness of the butchers on food safety issues is highly recommended.