Abstract:

In this study 30 ready-to-cook meatball and 30 white pickled cheese samples, obtained from different sales outlets in Istanbul, were analysed for the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) with the aid of the ELISA technique. Additionally, total Staphylococcus aureus count, DNase positive Staphylococcus aureus count and thermonuclease activity were determined. The meatball samples were found to contain between 3.0x10' and 5.2x104 cfu/g of Staphylococcus aureus while in the white cheese samples, the count varied between <10 - 9.2x103 cfu/g. In 9 meatball samples and 11 white cheese samples, no DNase positive bacteria growth could be detected. Despite these results, SE could not be identified in any of the samples of both food groups, and all samples gave negative results in the thermonuclease test. With respect to Staphylococcus aureus count, 63% of the white cheese samples and 43% of the meatball samples did not comply with Turkish Food Codex. The findings of this study indicate a low microbiological quality of the analysed meatballs and white cheese samples. However, none of the samples conteined staphylococcal enterotoxins.

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