Incidence of Salmonellae in Raw Meat and Poultry Samples in Retail Stores

Abstract

An examination of 142 samples of raw beef, pork, and poultry from five retail stores in Athens, Georgia, showed an overall incidence of 14.8% contamination by salmonellae. Pork samples had the maximum contamination (21.5%). Samples were obtained in lots of about 25 over a 6-week period and the extent of contamination by salmonellae in the products purchased every week fluctuated over a narrow range (12.5 – 19.2%). Higher levels of contamination were observed in samples purchased from two national supermarkets than in samples purchased from a regional supermarket, a local grocery store and one national supermarket. Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella agona were the serotypes isolated most frequently from the samples.