INVESTIGATION OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINANTS IN FREEZERS KEEPING FROZEN FOOD IN LOCAL MARKETS

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of microbial contamination in food keeping freezers in some local markets in Baghdad city/ Iraq, as well as the contamination of the hands of workers in markets, and the possibility of contamination caused by the transport of food. 30 samples of snow ice found in food keeping freezers in local markets was randomly collected, and 30 swabs from workers hands were taken from the same markets at the same time. Microbiological examination of ice samples was conducted as well as the hands of workers’swabs, and the bacteria were isolated and diagnosed through microbiological and biochemical tests followed. Microbial test results showed some isolates of bacteria in ice samples obtained from food keeping freezers, the highest number of isolates belonging to Pseudomonas aeruginosa 12 isolates, followed by Klebsiella spp bacteria reaching 7 isolates, then Staphylococcus aurous recorded 4 isolates, while the number of isolates of each bacteria belonging to Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella spp, Streptococcus fecalis and Escherichia coli is equal: 2 isolates, and one isolate from Escherichia coli O157:H7 . In the swabs of workers’ hands the numbers for each of the isolates of bacteria Klebsiella spp., E.coli, Staphylococcus aurous, Streptococcus fecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7 recorded 10, 10, 7, 5, 4 and 2 respectively, and Salmonella spp. pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria not found in the swabs of workers’ hands.