Occurrence of Foodborne Pathogens in Chicken Sandwiches Distributed in Different Supermarkets of Tehran Province, Iran

Background: Increasing urbanization, immigration and tourism has changed the human lifestyle. This modern lifestyle has demanded safety, quality, and fast availability of ready to eat (RTE) foods like chicken sandwiches. Objectives: For presentation of proper solutions regarding food safety, identification of pathogens in different foods is necessary. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the microbiological quality of chicken sandwiches distributed in Tehran province, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 chicken sandwich samples (chicken sausage, chicken fillet, minced chicken fillet) were purchased from different supermarkets in Tehran city randomly during 2013 and transported to the laboratory of food hygiene of Islamic Azad University, Karaj branch under temperature-controlled conditions for bacteriological examination by American Public Health Association (APHA) method. Results: The average count ± standard error (and percent of unacceptable samples) of S. aureus, B. cereus and Coliform were 1.6 ± 0.56 (28%), 2.0 ± 0.62 (10%), 4.2 ± 1.12 (50%) CFU/g, respectively. Moreover, E. coli and Salmonella spp. were identified in 21% of chicken sandwich samples. Conclusions: The large number of foodborne pathogens detected in this study, represented a potential health hazard to consumers. Thus, it is necessary to employ Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in order to minimize the risk caused by secondary contamination.