The microbiological quality of imported frozen chicken drumsticks from retail meat shops in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

There has been an increase in chicken meat consumption in Ghana due to the affordability and convenience of imported frozen chicken parts compared with fresh chicken meat. However, there is little information on the quality of frozen chicken meat. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality and safety of imported frozen chicken drumsticks from supermarkets, cold stores and open markets. A total of 24 chicken meat samples were analyzed to determine the Total Viable Count (TVC), Total Coliform Count (TCC), concentration of Escherichia coli and prevalence of Salmonella. The mean TVCs were 6.34, 5.92 and 5.42 Log CFU/g respectively for open markets, supermarkets and cold stores. E. coli and Salmonella prevalence was 66.7% and 91.7% respectively. There was no significant difference in the microbiological quality and prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella on frozen chicken meat purchased from all three retail outlets. Results of this study suggest that raw frozen chicken drumsticks from Ghanaian retail outlets have poor microbiological quality and are highly contaminated with potential pathogens including species of E. coli and Salmonella.