Microbial quality of liquid egg and Salmonella infection status in Japan

• Published in: Food Hygiene and Safety Science (Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi) Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 34 - 40
• Main Authors: Hara Kudo, Y.(National Inst. of Health Sciences, Tokyo (Japan)), Takatori, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japan Japanese Society for Food Hygiene and Safety 01.02.2009
• Subjects: aerobic bacteria count; BACTERIA; Bacteria, Aerobic - isolation & purification; Colony Count, Microbial; CONTAMINACION; CONTAMINATION; Disease Outbreaks; EGGS; Eggs - microbiology; ENFERMEDADES TRANSM POR ALIMENTOS; FOODBORNE DISEASES; HUEVOS; Humans; Japan - epidemiology; liquid eggs; MALADIE TRANSMISSIBLE PAR ALIMENT; OEUF; SALMONELLA; Salmonella - isolation & purification; Salmonella Food Poisoning - epidemiology; Japan
• ISSN: 0015-6426; 1882-1006
• DOI: 10.3358/shokueishi.50.34

Aerobic bacteria counts and contamination with Salmonella were investigated in a total of 1,327 samples of commercial liquid egg in 1992-2002. Salmonella was isolated from 8.1% of the samples, and Salmonella contamination was found in 1.7% of even the pasteurized liquid egg samples. The major Salmonella serotype was Enteritidis from more than 50% of the contaminated liquid egg samples. In addition, the aerobic bacteria counts in Salmonella-positive liquid eggs were significantly higher than those of Salmonella-negative samples. However, Salmonella was detected in liquid egg in which the aerobic bacteria counts were in the range of 10E2 to 10E6 cfu/g. Furthermore, foodborne outbreaks of Salmonella infections associated with liquid egg were analyzed. Liquid eggs should be carefully treated to avoid the possibility of Salmonella contamination. Adequate supply of pasteurized liquid eggs and controls to prevent re-contamination are needed.