Prevalence of E scherichia coli O157 : H7 and Their Verotoxins and S almonella spp. in Processed Poultry Products

This study was carried out to investigate the presence of E scherichia coli   O157 : H7 and their verotoxins as well as S almonella spp. in processed poultry products. A total of 100 samples of cordon bleus ( n  = 20), chicken nuggets ( n  = 20), chicken burgers ( n  = 40) and chicken meatballs ( n  = 20) were analyzed. The E . coli   O157 (but not H7 ) strain was isolated from one (1%) out of 100 samples. This isolate were obtained from chicken burgers. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction confirmed two genotypes, namely rfbO157 and stx1 genes. None of the samples was contaminated with S almonella spp. These results demonstrate that processed poultry products may be sporadically contaminated with E . coli   O157 strains that are potentially pathogenic for humans. Practical Application The growth of E . coli   O157 and S almonella in processed poultry products are dependent on poultry carcasses used as raw material, hygienic application during the process and the storage temperature. Potentially pathogenic agents for humans E . coli   O157 , which was obtained in this study, and S almonella spp. should be controlled by heat‐treatment.