A Study on The Microbiological Growth and Microbiological Quality in The Cooked Doner Kebabs

Abstract

This study is carried out to determine the microbiological quality of cooked ready to eat doner kebabs from fast food restaurants and to assess the changes in the number of microorganisms in doners during waiting at room temperature. Primarily, total 30 doner samples were collected in 20 different retail locations in Avcilar region, Istanbul, and analyzed in respect to microbial load. Afterwards, the doner samples were taken from three sale points were kept at ambient temperature and determined the microbial counts at hourly intervals. A similar trial was also performed with doner kebabs experimentally contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus. Significant differences were observed between the numbers of microorganisms (total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Esherichia coli) in samples collected from the sale points. However, no samples contained S. aureus and thermopilic spor forming anaerob bacteria at countable level. During the first six hours of storage, a significant increase in the numbers of microorganisms were not observed. Similar results were also observed in the samples experimentally contaminated with S. aureus. According to the result of this study, it was concluded that the microbiological quality of doner kebabs is quite variable, and cooked doner kebab is not suitable for microbial growth.