Bacterial Contamination in Retail Foods Purchased in Thailand

Abstract

The loss of quality or quantity of raw foods caused by spoilage bacteria is a major problem, especially in developing countries. Evaluation of the frequency and level of bacterial contamination and/or identification of the contaminating bacteria are keys to solving this problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and types of contaminating bacteria in retail foodstuffs in Thailand. Foods in four categories (137 samples total) including meat (51 samples), vegetables (38 samples), fish or seafood (37 samples) and fermented food (11 samples) were purchased randomly from seven different open markets and seven supermarkets in Thailand from August 2010 to March 2011. Indicator bacteria of fecal contamination or other naturally contaminating bacteria were isolated and identified. More than 90% of each category of collected retail meat, vegetables and fish or seafood was contaminated with coliform bacteria. The contamination rate of fecal coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. and lactic acid bacteria was higher in vegetables from open markets than those from supermarkets, and the contamination rate of Staphylococcus spp. was likewise higher in fish or seafood samples purchased from open markets than those from supermarkets. Improvement in hygienic practices throughout the food distribution may reduce the risk of food poisoning and spoilage of foods purchased in Thai markets.Keywords: spoilage, food hygiene, Thailand *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: inatu@affrc.go.jp IntroductionSpoilage can be defined as any change in a food product that makes it unacceptable to the consumer from a sensory point of view. It is mainly ascribable to the undesired growth of microorganisms to unacceptable levels. For example, in the case of raw meat or fish, microbial spoilage leads to the development of off-odors and often slime formation, which make the product undesirable for human consumption, consequently leading to the loss of foodstuff.Finding ways to prevent food spoilage is important to assure a sufficient and stable supply of food, especially in developing countries. Production and processing of high quality foods for export are now making an important contribution to the economy in developing countries. For example, the Thai government has established a policy to develop Thailand as the "Kitchen of the World". However, various types of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria have been found in Thai foods (Indrawattana et al., 2011;Keeratipibul et al., 2010;Minami et al., 2010;Padungtod et al., 2006;Suthienkul et al., 1990;Vindigni et al., 2007;Vuddhakul et al., 2000).There are two types of retail markets, supermarkets and open markets, in many South-East Asian countries including Thailand. Supermarkets are indoors, often air conditioned, typically offering controlled-temperature environments and have displays of prepackaged products under refrigeration.In contrast, open markets are traditional open-air markets where foodstuffs are sold by individual vendors or farmers and are usually displaye...

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