Microbiological load and zoonotic agents in beef mortadella from Addis Ababa City supermarkets

Processing changes the meat ecosystem and, hence, has an impact on the microbiological load and quality of the product. Microbial contamination decreases shelf life and, if a pathogen is present, increases the risk of zoonoses in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological load, including zoonotic agents, in ready-to-eat beef mortadella from Ethiopian supermarkets. A total of 119 samples from 8 supermarkets in Addis Ababa City (Ethiopia) were examined for aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. An overall mean of 4.0 log for aerobic plate count and 2.2 log for Enterobacteriaceae was observed. The Salmonella prevalence was 0.8%. An overall E. Coli prevalence of 29% (range, 13 to 53%) was observed at individual supermarkets.