Microbiological quality of cooked meat products sold in Kelantan, Malaysia during Ramadhan month

The Ramadhan fast is a form of worship where Muslims spend the daylight hours in a complete fast. During the month of Ramadhan, a large number of people tend to purchase food from stalls or bazaars for breaking fast. It is crucial that the foods prepared and sold are handled in a clean and safe manner. Thus, this research focused on evaluating the microbiological quality of cooked meat products (beef and chicken) from food bazaars and street-vended foods in 10 districts throughout the state of Kelantan. A total of 100 samples were collected from all 10 districts in Kelantan and were tested for coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. Microbiological analysis of the meat samples showed unsatisfactory results where a total of 42% of the samples were found unsatisfactory for coliform. The overall prevalence for Staphylococcus spp. in beef and chicken were 19.6% and 12.9%. Escherichia coli were detected in 23.9% of beef and 12.9% of chicken. Non-compliances for Salmonella were found in 13% and 9.3% of beef and chicken samples. This study determined the presence of foodborne pathogen in cooked meat products and indicated the possibilities of cross contamination and lack of hygiene during food handling.