P1-57 Microbiological Map of Selected Caribbean Foods over the 11-year Period 2004 through 2014

Monday, July 10, 2017
Exhibit Hall (Tampa Convention Center)
Zoe Gordon , Technological Solutions Limited , Kingston , Jamaica
Andre Gordon , Technological Solutions Limited , Kingston , Jamaica
James Kerr , Technological Solutions Limited , Kingston , Jamaica
Introduction: The Caribbean is home to 39.1 million people, with a further 28.7 million stop-over visitors in 2015, all of whom expect to get safe wholesome food. Because of the limited published data on the safety of Caribbean foods, very little is known about the conformance with industry standards and safety of Caribbean foods.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to map the microbiological profile of selected Caribbean foods over an eleven-year period, 2004 through 2014. Samples evaluated included dairy and meat products, beverages, produce, sauces, prepared meals, coleslaw, salads and seafood.

Methods: Total aerobic plate counts (TAPC), Escherichia coliStaphylococcus aureusListeria monocytogenesSalmonella sp., and Clostridium perfringens, where relevantwere determined for 28,527 food and environmental samples, as was the microbiological quality of the production environment in selected production facilities. The number of samples exceeding acceptable limits and those found to be presumptively positive for selected pathogens for samples assessed by traditional and AOAC-accredited rapid methods were determined. Organisms resulting in presumptive positive findings for Salmonella and L. monocytogenes determined by the Reveal and traditional methods were also identified.

Results: Of the samples surveyed, 27,357 (95.9%) were within acceptable limits for the parameters assessed while 1,173 samples (4.1%) were not. For TAPC, 726 (10.3% of samples assessed) exceeded their respective limits. Of samples assessed for E. coli, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes, 154 (4.1%), 28 (1.5%) and 26 (1.2%), respectively, were positive. For samples assessed for Salmonella and L. monocytogenes by the Reveal method that were found to be negative, Enterobacter spp. and Enterococcus sp. and L. innocua, respectively, were the major organisms found.

Significance: Caribbean foods assessed over the period demonstrated a low level of contamination with pathogens and excellent compliance with globally accepted microbiological limits. For Salmonella, L. monocytogenes and C. perfringens, food samples showed increasing compliance over time.