Abstract:

The thin sheet of dough has been recently produced at home and small businesses, today it is converted into an industrial product. The present study, the relationship of the microbiological properties between the raw materials (flour and water) and hygiene parameters (surface, equipments, personnel hands and air) with thin sheet of dough (endproduct) were firstly investigated in thin sheet of dough production facilities (A, B and C) in Turkey. Thin sheet of dough, the highest mean Total mesophilic anaerobic bacteria (TMAB), coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus and mould counts were 4.4x104 cfu/g, 1.7x10' cfu/g, 9.3x102 cfu/g, 1.7x102 cfu/g and 6.9x103 cfu/g, respectively. In wheat flour samples, the highest mean TMAB, coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus and mould counts were found 1.5x104 cfu/g, 4.4x101 cfu/g, 9.3x102 cfu/g, 1.0x102 cfu/g, 6.8x103 cfu/g, respectively. Moreover, significant differences were found about TMAB, Staphylococcus spp. and mould counts between wheat flour and thin sheet of dough samples (P<0.05). The highest mean TMAB count was detected 1.5x104 cfu/g in water samples and the coliform bacteria and Esherichia coli were not found in water samples. In samples taken from staffs in food production area, the highest TMAB and coliform bacteria counts were found in 'A' company. Coliform bacteria on the examined personnel hands were found 1 cfu/cm2 in 13 (36.1%) samples, 5 cfu/cm2 in 20 (55.6%) samples, 45 cfu/cm2 in 3 (8.3%) samples and S. aureus counts were found 1 cfu/cm2 in 29 (80.6%) samples, 5 cfu/cm2 in 7 (19.4%) samples. The highest mean TMAB and coliform bacteria counts were detected in end-product samples taken from 'B' company and these microorganisms counts were found also high in wheat flour, surface, equipment and personnel samples taken from 'B' company. Similarly, the highest mean Staphylococcus spp., S. aureus and mould counts were found in 'A' company and these results was correlated with wheat flour, personnel and air samples counts result. Accordingly, there is necessity to improve the process and sanitary conditions in manufacturing with to standardize of the using raw materials for the qualified thin sheet of dough production.

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