Özet:

Çiğ köfte is a special Turkish meal prepared from minced meat, bulgur, onions, garlic and different spices. In this study, a total of 50 çiğ köfte samples sold in Ankara were microbiologically analysed in order to determine their microbiological quality. The numbers of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, lactobacilli, micrococci/staphylococci, coagulase-positive staphylococci, enterobacteriaceae, coliform, enterococci, pseudomonas, yeasts and molds were determined by drop plating, whereas the B. cereus count was determined by spread plating, and the isolation of Salmonella involved enrichment procedures. The mean numbers of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, lactobacilli, and micrococci/staphylococci were 106 cfu/g, 105 cfu/g, 104 cfu/g, respectively. The mean number of coagulase-positive staphylococci was 102- 103 cfu/g in 18% of the samples analysed, and 82% of the samples were determined to be under the detection limit. The mean number of index microorganisms, including enterobacteriaceae, coliform and enterococci, was 104 cfu/g. The levels of pseudomonas, yeasts and molds were 103 and 104 cfu/g, respectively. The numbers of B. cereus, an important food intoxication agent, was 102- 104 cfu/g in 46% of the samples. Salmonella was not isolated from any of the samples analysed. We concluded that the çiğ köfte samples analysed were of very poor microbiological quality and could pose a risk to public health.

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