MICROBIAL ASSESSMENT OF MEAT SOLD IN AROUND THE HYDERABAD CITY.

Food borne pathogens are major causes for the food borne illness in the developing countries due to changing the food habits. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the microbial quality of meat sold in retail shops in around the Hyderabad city and to determining their susceptibility to different antimicrobial agents. A total of 120 samples were collected from the 15 retail shops and are processed and analyzed for potential food borne pathogens using standard methods. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by using disk diffusion method. Out of 120 samples 8(6.67%), 39(32.5%) and 46(38.33%) were positive for Salmonella spp., E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for E. coli showed resistant to Ampicillin, Naldixic acid, Gentamicin, but sensitive to remaining all the antibiotics tested. Among the S. aureus isolates 90% were resistant to Nitrofurontaine, 80% to Ampicillin, 68% to Norfloxicin, 60% to Cefpodoxime, 38% to streptomycin, and 20% to Kanamycin but all (98%) of the isolates were sensitive to Co-trimoxazole. Whereas, isolates of Salmonella spp. shown resistant to Ampicillin (86%), Gentamycin (92%), Tetracycline (78%) and 60% to Cefpodoxime but 44% (17) isolates were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. Present study concluded that the meat from retail meat shops is important sources of bacteria of public health significance i.e. Salmonella, E.coli and Staphylococci in Hyderabad city. Presence of this pathogenic microorganisms indicating there is a need to screening of meat from the retail shops to monitor hygienic conditions.