ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF RETAIL HORSEMEAT PRODUCTS

Abstract

This research was done by using traditional microbiological and biochemical methods, two samples of horsemeat products were tested to assess their microbiological safety. Number of colony-forming units in the original meat samples were 1.1 - 7.8 х 105 CFUs per 1 gram. There is about same level as it is determined for frozen blocks of meat according to Technical Regulations of Custom Union. It concluded that all studied bacterial isolates from meat samples are not coagulase positive pathogenic S. aureus according to resulted tests such as coagulase, catalase, oxidase and hemolysis reactions and others.