Hygienic Quality of Mutton Grills Sold on the Outskirts of the Streets of Korhogo Town

Abstract

In Korhogo town, there is a proliferation of places selling grilled meats. Also, controlling contamination of meat by pathogenic germs and toxic compounds is a major challenge for actors in the sector. It is in this context that a study was conducted to assess the hygienic quality of mutton grills sold on the outskirts of the streets of Korhogo town. To do this, a survey was conducted among sellers to describe the preparation and storage methods of mutton grills. Then, at points of sale, observations were made on the environment, equipment, raw material, method and workforce in order to assess the hygiene of mutton grills preparation. After that, the microbiological quality of mutton grills was assessed by looking for TMAF, faecal coliforms, S. aureus and Salmonella spp. Finally, the benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content in mutton grills was estimated through a cooking test. The survey revealed that the majority of mutton grills sellers (60%) cooked the meat over an ember fire and stored the unsold grills at room temperature in basins or baskets. In most of the sale places visited (83.33%), the sellers did not comply with the principle of separating “clean” and “dirty” areas. Microbiological analysis showed that unpackaged mutton grills had better microbiological quality compared to mutton grills packaged in recovery paper, which served as a cement bag. However, the mutton grills overall quality was unsatisfactory in most cases (66.67%). The main microorganisms incriminated in the unsatisfactory quality of mutton grills were S. aureus (53.67%) and faecal coliforms (51.67%). Furthermore, the cooking test indicated that mutton cooked over an ember fire had a BaP content above the recommended maximum limit (2 µg/kg). Considering the results above, the mutton grills sold on the outskirts of the streets of Korhogo town would present a risk of food toxi-infection and poisoning for consumers. These results must be taken into account in order to carry out preventive actions, such as