EvaluationBacterial Contamination Levels of Imported and Locally Produced Chicken Meat Rollingin Al-Bayda City Markets
Keywords:
Safety, E. coli , Bacteria, Chicken, Standards, MicrobiologyAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological safety of chicken meat marketed in Al-Bayda City, Libya, by analyzing samples of both locally produced and imported chicken for the presence of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and determining the total viable count (TVC).
The results indicated that all samples were within the permissible limits according to international standards, confirming the overall microbiological safety of the meat. However, higher contamination levels were observed in locally produced chicken compared to imported samples.
For imported chicken, the mean TVC values were 2.7 log CFU/g in breast meat and 3.6 log CFU/g in thigh meat, while E. coli counts ranged from 1.8 log CFU/g in breast to 2.3 log CFU/g in thigh samples, all within internationally accepted limits (6–7 log CFU/g for TVC and <3–4 log CFU/g for E. coli , according to WHO/FAO/EFSA).
In locally produced chicken, the mean TVC reached 6.28 log CFU/g in both breast and thigh samples, whereas the mean E. coli count was 3.01 log CFU/g. Although these values did not exceed the maximum permissible limits, they approached the upper thresholds, reflecting a higher contamination level that could pose a potential risk under poor storage or handling conditions.
Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening sanitary control measures, improving hygiene practices and cold-chain management in the local poultry production sector, and raising consumer awareness about proper cooking practices as an effective measure to reduce potential microbiological risks.
Downloads
References
• التميمي، س. ص.، الموسوي، م. ت.، & صاحب، م. (2010). ﺘﻘﺩﻴﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺘﻭﻯ ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻜﺭﻭﺒﻲ ﻟﺒﻌﺽ ﺃﻨﻭﺍﻉ ﺍﻟﺒﻜﺘﺭﻴﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻓﺨﺎﺫ ﺍﻟﺩﺠﺎﺝ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﻤﺩﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻭﺭﺩﺓ ﻓﻲ ﻤﺩﻴﻨﺔ ﺒﻐﺩﺍﺩ. المجلة العراقية لبحوث السوق وحماية المستهلك، 2 (4).
• الفياض، ح. ع.، & سعد، ع. ح. ن. (1989). تكنولوجيا منتجات اللحوم. مطبعة التعليم العالي، جامعة بغداد.
• القيم، ح. و. ع. (2016). تقييم المحتوى المكروبي للدجاج المجمد في بابل. رسالة ماجستير، جامعة بابل، العراق.
• جعفر، م. م.، عورة، ك. ح.، حبيب، م. خ.، & حميد، أ. س. (2013). تأثير مستخلصات ثمار نبات القرنفل Lanthus carphyllus على الحمل البكتيري للحم الدجاج الطري. مجلة جامعة النهرين – العلوم، 16 (3)، 41-47.
4.2 المراجع الإنجليزية
• Abebe, E., Gugsa, G., & Ahmed, M. (2020). Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella and Escherichia coli from raw chicken meat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Food Science & Nutrition, 8 (12), 6681–6690. [https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1963](https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1963)
• Al-Mazrouei, M. A., Al-Kharousi, Z. S., Al-Kharousi, J. M., & Al-Barashdi, H. M. (2024). Microbiological evaluation of local and imported raw beef meat at retail sites in Oman with emphasis on spoilage and pathogenic psychrotrophic bacteria. Microorganisms, 12 (12), 2545. [https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122545](https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122545)
• Amoako, D. G., Somboro, A. M., Abia, A. L. K., Allam, M., Ismail, A., & Essack, S. Y. (2017). Microbial quality and antimicrobial resistance in frozen chicken meat imported into Ghana. Journal of Food Protection, 80*(12), 2048–2055. [https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-184](https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-184)
• Aning, K. G., Baah, F. D., & Akyeh, M. L. (2012). The microbiological quality of imported frozen chicken drumsticks from retail meat shops in Accra, Ghana. Journal of Science and Technology, 32 (3), 70–76. [https://doi.org/10.4314/just.v32i3.8](https://doi.org/10.4314/just.v32i3.8)
• Asheg, A., Ghenghesh, K. S., Altomi, A., & Rahouma, A. (2023). Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. and Salmonella Enteritidis isolated from poultry carcasses in Tripoli, Libya. Journal of Food Protection, 86 (5), 100104. [https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-22-298](https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-22-298)
• Benlashehr, R., El-Buni, A., & Ahmed, M. (2024). Occurrence of Salmonella Enteritidis in poultry farms and the role of environmental factors in Libya. Veterinary World, 17 (3), 455–462. [https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.455-462](https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.455-462)
• Benson, H. J. (1979). Microbiological Applications: A Laboratory Manual in General Microbiology. Dubuque, Iowa: W.C. Brown Publishers.
• Davies, R., Wales, A., & Evans, S. (2019). Microbiological contamination of poultry meat in the UK: A review of monitoring data. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 126 (5), 1468–1483. [https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14195](https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14195)
• El-Shater, M. A., Abd El-Razik, K. A., & Hassan, M. A. (2022). Microbiological quality and antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from chicken meat in Egypt. International Journal of Veterinary Science, 11 (3), 245–252. [https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.ijvs/2022.056](https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.ijvs/2022.056)
• Gomaa, A., El-Fadel, A., & Salem, R. (2025). Antibiotic use in Libyan poultry farms and its impact on antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 412, 110345. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.110345](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.110345)
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2006). ISO 4832:2006. Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coliforms — Colony-count technique. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2013). ISO 4833-1:2013. Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms — Part 1: Colony count at 30 °C by the pour plate technique. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2017). ISO 6887-1:2017. Microbiology of the food chain — Preparation of test samples, initial suspension and decimal dilutions for microbiological examination — Part 1: General rules. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2018). ISO 18593:2018. Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal methods for surface sampling. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.
• Mahmoud, H., Al-Mutairi, S., & Benali, M. (2020). Microbiological quality of imported frozen chicken meat compared to locally produced chicken in Al-Bayda, Libya. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 14*(12), 525–532. [https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2020.9372](https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2020.9372)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2025). Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), Chapter 3: Aerobic Plate Count. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/bacteriological-analytical-manual-bam
• Wardhana, D. K., Wibisono, F. J., & Sukamto, B. (2021). Microbiological safety of chicken meat from traditional markets in Indonesia: Prevalence of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Veterinary World, 14 (8), 2158–2164. [https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2158-2164](https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2158-2164)
