Potential cross-contamination of the ready-to-eat dried meat product, biltong

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to evaluate the hygiene of surfaces that come into direct contact with the ready to eat dried meat product, biltong, at point-of-sale in three different retailers in Johannesburg, South Africa, by investigating the presence of indicator organisms. Design/methodology/approach - Samples were collected and plated in duplicate for aerobic plate, total Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and Escherichia coli counts using standard methods. Typical E. coli colonies on Rapid E coli 2 Agar (TM) were selected and further identified using 16S rDNA molecular sequencing methods. Findings - Bacterial counts associated with biltong product ranged between 6-7 Log CFU/g, while counts on cutting utensils ranged between 5-6 Log CFU/cm(2). Overall, the lowest counts were associated with display cabinets (2-6 Log CFU/cm(2)). Predominant populations were often similar between biltong product and various surface samples, indicating potential cross-contamination. Results from 165 rDNA sequence analysis showed that E. coli strains isolated from biltong product and correspondingly from cutting utensils, were 100 per cent genetically similar. Strains of potential pathogens belonging to the Shigella dysenteriae group (99 per cent) were also identified. Originality/value - This paper highlights that surfaces in direct contact with biltong, an increasingly popular dried meat commodity worldwide, may act as potential sources for cross-contamination of product with potential food-borne pathogens, which may hold foodborne illness implications.