Street‐vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

Grilled beef sausage is a popular street delicacy in many countries, and Ghana is no exception. This study assessed street‐vended grilled beef sausages as a potential vehicle of microorganisms that present food safety risks to the general public in Ho City. Twenty grilled beef sausages were obtained from various vended locations within Ho municipality by convenient sampling and were analyzed by standard microbiological protocols for food safety followed by statistical analysis with a test of significant difference at p < .05. Total aerobic bacteria count of the potential foodborne pathogens ranged from 2.75 × 104 to 1.85 × 107 CFU/g. The microbial species identified included Staphylococcus aureus with a load from 6.15 × 102 to 1.67 × 105 CFU/g, Escherichia coli from 4.2 × 102 to 3.9 × 104 CFU/g, Bacillus cereus from 3.05 × 102 to 7.1 × 104 CFU/g, and Salmonella spp. from 2.8 × 102 to 5.5 × 104 CFU/g. Total fungal counts also ranged from 0.0 to 9.83 × 103 CFU/g, and the species identified included Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus spp. all of which were within the acceptable limits of the International Commission for Microbiological Specification of Foods. However, for total viable bacteria, 75% of the samples were above the acceptable limits in the guidelines by the Ghana Standards Authority, indicating that the consumption of grilled beef sausages poses serious food safety and hygiene risks to consumers. Hygienic processing of the sausages under sanitary environments, proper handling and preservation procedures, and periodic follow‐up visits to the vended areas should be employed to reduce the risk of occurrence of potential pathogens in the products.

Foodborne Microbiological Hazards in Ghana: A Scoping Review

“…It was most detected in RTE vegetable salads, cabbage, lettuce, raw beef, raw chicken, raw goat meat, “Hausa koko”, “khebab,” as well as fresh and smoked fishes, with individual prevalence ranging from 2.1% to 100%. 23 - 41 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 - 55 , 57 , 60 - 62 , 64 - 67 , 69 , 74 , 75 , 77 - 83 The highest prevalence (100%) was recorded in lettuce and cabbage samples from a vegetable farm in Kumasi. 26 Staphylococcus spp.…”

“…was the second most isolated bacterium, reported by 44% (32/72) of the studies 23 , 25 , 27 - 29 , 31 , 33 , 35 - 39 , 41 , 44 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 57 , 62 , 65 - 67 , 70 , 71 , 74 , 75 , 79 - 82 ; 19 of these 32 studies specifically reported on Staphylococcus aureus , with individual prevalence ranging from 4% to 97%. 23 , 25 , 27 - 29 , 31 , 33 , 41 , 48 , 57 , 65 - 67 , 70 , 71 , 74 , 75 , 79 , 82 ...…”

“… 25 Salmonella spp. was reported by 32% (23/72) 23 - 25 , 28 , 29 , 31 , 35 , 36 , 38 , 44 , 50 , 51 , 53 , 58 , 60 , 66 , 74 , 76 , 78 , 80 - 83 from foods such as raw beef, chicken, chevon, salad, mixed spices, and locally produced fruit juices. The prevalence of Salmonella spp.…”

“…was reported by 24% (17/72) of the studies. 24 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 37 , 38 , 55 , 57 , 61 , 62 , 65 - 68 , 73 , 75 , 79 It was most common in vegetable salad and raw beef, with individual prevalence ranging from 10% to 93%. Also, Enterobacter spp.…”

Evaluation of the Quality and Lipid Content of Artisan Sausages Produced in Tungurahua, Ecuador

“…Macedo et al [64] reported counts of molds and yeast between 2.78 to 4.41 log CFU/g in hot dog sausages; these results were attributable to the pH, high water activity, and nutrient composition [65]. Likewise, Nkekesi et al [66] reported fungal counts ranging from 0.0 CFU/g to 9.83 × 10 3 CFU/g for street-vended grilled beef sausages. The presence of molds and yeasts was usually related to food contamination and the production of mycotoxins, which, in most cases, were not easy to eliminate during processing.…”