Quality assessment of some meat products manufactured in Transylvania area for public comsumption

Abstract

Meat products are a part of food industry that has become increasingly important in the diet of consumers. Meat products are consumed mainly due to increased nutritional value but also to other aspects such as the ready to eat, increased shelf life, cost, etc. In order to ensure the hygienic quality of meat products, the quality of raw materials and the hygiene practices during all manufacturing steps must be strictly controlled. The aim of the study was to evaluate the chemical composition and hygienic quality of some meat products manufactured in the central area of Transylvania by three processing companies (A, B, C). The research material was represented by 45 samples of meat products collected between February and June 2018 from the different hypermarket located in Transylvania. All the samples were analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, and collagen with FoodScan equipment. Aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli were analyzed using standardized methods and PCR method were used for specie identification. The main chemical compositional non-compliances were identified at the moisture parameter at which all categories of products analyzed showed higher values, especially for B and C and protein, respectively, where lower values were found in the case of the Parizer obtained by manufacturer B. Fresh sausages exhibited the highest level plate count, Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, while the raw, dried and smoked sausages exhibited the lowest level of contamination. Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli were not found in any of the raw, dried and smoked sausages samples. Salmonella spp. was not isolated from any of the samples. The percentage of fraud products was 13%, mainly in the case of pork and poultry meat products.