Analysis of microbiological risks and effects of refrigeration on the evolution of the bacteriological and the physicochemical quality of camel meat from Bechar (South-Western Algeria)

Abstract

Camel meat is widely consumed in the Bechar region which happens to be warm to hot, exceeding 50°C in summer; fact that probably affects its physicochemical and microbiological quality. This study aimed to assess the camel meat production chain upstream. A primary HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) study was conducted to detect the hazards, that were all related to the cold chain and refrigeration was the only mean used to preserve camel meat before marketing it raw. The kinetics of the physicochemical (temperature, pH, Total Dry Extract and humidity) and of the microbiological (Total Aerobic Mesophilic Flora, Coliforms, Staphylococci, Salmonella sp, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas sp, yeast and molds) parameters were then analyzed before and during cold storages, to study their limit over time. The results obtained showed that a temperature above the refrigeration temperature (+4 and +6°C) is likely to accelerate the microbial activity and to make the product unfit for consumption, a deterioration which resulted in a decrease in the rate of total dry extract (TDE) where the higher the temperature, the greater the loss of TDE, an alkalinization following proteolysis reactions with an increase in the humidity of the product. This study proved that the camel meat can meet national legislation for two weeks of storage at a temperature of up to 10°C. The evolution of the microbial and physicochemical parameters depends on several factors that should be strictly monitored, in particular the hygienic quality of the raw material, its handling and its storage conditions.