15.12.2017

Jambalang et al (2017) S Afr J Sci. 113(11/12)

Food safety is an important public health issue and governments across the world are intensifying their efforts to improve the quantity, quality and the safety of national food supplies. Bacteria, especially Salmonella species, present in or on chicken meat and hens’ eggs in particular are the most common causes of food poisoning and the major sources of human salmonellosis. A new study published in the South African Journal of Science found that almost three-quarters of eggs bought at shops in Pretoria are contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.
The genera identified (out of 468 eggs) were Escherichia coli (34%), Enterococcus faecalis (14%), Proteus mirabilis (9%), Klebshiella pneumoniae (7%), Salmonella Typhimurium (6%), Enterobacter cloacae (1%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (0.6%), Salmonella Dublin (0.6%) and Salmonella Braenderup (0.2%).