Escherichia coli in Ground Beef Sold in Select Supermarkets and Public Markets

The study assessed the quality of ground beef sold in selected supermarkets and public markets in Cagayan de Oro City. The researchers used an experimental design which focused on the determination of the presence and density of Escherichia coli among the twelve (12) ground beef samples collected. The researchers collected samples of ground beef from the public markets and select supermarkets in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. The samples were then submitted to the Department of Science and Technology for E. coli analyses. The results revealed that all samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli as shown by the MPN indices of the samples. It shows that all gathered samples observed had high content of Escherichia coli. The MPN indices of the ground beef samples sold in Supermarkets and Public markets indicate that there was a marked contamination of Escherichia coli in samples obtained from public markets and with less contamination in ground beef samples from supermarkets. The possible factors that contributed to high Escherichia coli contamination on the ground beef can be attributed to the handling and processing of samples.

 

Keywords: Mircobiology, Escherichia coli, public market, supermarket, experimental design, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines