Microbiological quality of retail chicken carcasses and their products in Turkey

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. L. monocytogenes, E. coli 0157:H7 in chicken carcasses and their products (legs, wings, breast meat and giblets) and their microbiological quality. Samples were evaluated for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psycrofils, enterobacteriaceae, coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus-Micrococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, mould and yeast, and Yersinia enterocolitica counts. Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes and E. coli 0157:H7 were isolated in 18.4%, 9.6% and 4.8% of the samples, respectively. The highest contamination levels of these bacteria were 48%, 24% and 20% in chicken breast meat, and the lowest: 8%, 0% and 0% in legs, respectively. E. coli was found in all samples and S. aureus was found in 65% of the samples. The results of the study indicate that chicken carcasses and their products may contain significant hazards to humans and are a danger to public health.