Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana
Abstract Grilled beef sausage is a popular street delicacy in many countries, and Ghana is no exception. This study assessed street‐vended grilled beef sausages as a potential vehicle of microorganisms that present food safety risks to the general public in Ho City. Twenty grilled beef sausages were...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Food Science & Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3625 |
| _version_ | 1797633814439133184 |
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| author | Banabas Nkekesi Priscilla Amenya George Aboagye Nii Korley Kortei |
| author_facet | Banabas Nkekesi Priscilla Amenya George Aboagye Nii Korley Kortei |
| author_sort | Banabas Nkekesi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Grilled beef sausage is a popular street delicacy in many countries, and Ghana is no exception. This study assessed street‐vended grilled beef sausages as a potential vehicle of microorganisms that present food safety risks to the general public in Ho City. Twenty grilled beef sausages were obtained from various vended locations within Ho municipality by convenient sampling and were analyzed by standard microbiological protocols for food safety followed by statistical analysis with a test of significant difference at p < .05. Total aerobic bacteria count of the potential foodborne pathogens ranged from 2.75 × 104 to 1.85 × 107 CFU/g. The microbial species identified included Staphylococcus aureus with a load from 6.15 × 102 to 1.67 × 105 CFU/g, Escherichia coli from 4.2 × 102 to 3.9 × 104 CFU/g, Bacillus cereus from 3.05 × 102 to 7.1 × 104 CFU/g, and Salmonella spp. from 2.8 × 102 to 5.5 × 104 CFU/g. Total fungal counts also ranged from 0.0 to 9.83 × 103 CFU/g, and the species identified included Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus spp. all of which were within the acceptable limits of the International Commission for Microbiological Specification of Foods. However, for total viable bacteria, 75% of the samples were above the acceptable limits in the guidelines by the Ghana Standards Authority, indicating that the consumption of grilled beef sausages poses serious food safety and hygiene risks to consumers. Hygienic processing of the sausages under sanitary environments, proper handling and preservation procedures, and periodic follow‐up visits to the vended areas should be employed to reduce the risk of occurrence of potential pathogens in the products. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:58:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92a0c44d73e048ed9d7119dd37f7b92b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2048-7177 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:58:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Food Science & Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-92a0c44d73e048ed9d7119dd37f7b92b2023-11-08T09:39:18ZengWileyFood Science & Nutrition2048-71772023-11-0111117013702510.1002/fsn3.3625Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of GhanaBanabas Nkekesi0Priscilla Amenya1George Aboagye2Nii Korley Kortei3Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences University of Health and Allied Sciences Ho Volta Region GhanaDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences University of Health and Allied Sciences Ho Volta Region GhanaDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences University of Health and Allied Sciences Ho Volta Region GhanaDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences University of Health and Allied Sciences Ho Volta Region GhanaAbstract Grilled beef sausage is a popular street delicacy in many countries, and Ghana is no exception. This study assessed street‐vended grilled beef sausages as a potential vehicle of microorganisms that present food safety risks to the general public in Ho City. Twenty grilled beef sausages were obtained from various vended locations within Ho municipality by convenient sampling and were analyzed by standard microbiological protocols for food safety followed by statistical analysis with a test of significant difference at p < .05. Total aerobic bacteria count of the potential foodborne pathogens ranged from 2.75 × 104 to 1.85 × 107 CFU/g. The microbial species identified included Staphylococcus aureus with a load from 6.15 × 102 to 1.67 × 105 CFU/g, Escherichia coli from 4.2 × 102 to 3.9 × 104 CFU/g, Bacillus cereus from 3.05 × 102 to 7.1 × 104 CFU/g, and Salmonella spp. from 2.8 × 102 to 5.5 × 104 CFU/g. Total fungal counts also ranged from 0.0 to 9.83 × 103 CFU/g, and the species identified included Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus spp. all of which were within the acceptable limits of the International Commission for Microbiological Specification of Foods. However, for total viable bacteria, 75% of the samples were above the acceptable limits in the guidelines by the Ghana Standards Authority, indicating that the consumption of grilled beef sausages poses serious food safety and hygiene risks to consumers. Hygienic processing of the sausages under sanitary environments, proper handling and preservation procedures, and periodic follow‐up visits to the vended areas should be employed to reduce the risk of occurrence of potential pathogens in the products.https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3625Aspergillus nigergrilled beef sausagespathogensready‐to‐eatSalmonella spp.street‐vended food |
| spellingShingle | Banabas Nkekesi Priscilla Amenya George Aboagye Nii Korley Kortei Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana Food Science & Nutrition Aspergillus niger grilled beef sausages pathogens ready‐to‐eat Salmonella spp. street‐vended food |
| title | Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana |
| title_full | Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana |
| title_short | Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana |
| title_sort | street vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens an exploratory survey in ho the capital city of the volta region of ghana |
| topic | Aspergillus niger grilled beef sausages pathogens ready‐to‐eat Salmonella spp. street‐vended food |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3625 |
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