Abstract:
Sandwich is a kind of healthy snack that is gaining popularities in Malaysia. It is
considered as ready-to-eat food (RTE) that can be prepared at home or buy at retail
shop. It is important to maintain the shelf life of product because of the hot climate
and tropical in Malaysia. This study was conducted to examine the microbiological
quality and assess the level of unsatisfactory in sandwiches after storage at 48 hours at
28
C. Sample of sandwiches with different fillings were prepared
under controlled conditions: tuna sandwich with salad, tuna sandwich without salad ,
egg mayonnaise sandwich with salad and egg mayonnaise sandwich without salad and
kept at chilled temperatures ( 4±2
°
C and 7 days at 4
°
C). Generally,
sandwiches with salad showed higher microbial load compared to the sandwich
without salad. It is suggested that salad contribute to a higher microbial load in the
sandwiches. Raw ingredients of sandwiches were also analyzed and iceberg lettuce
had highest water activity and microbial load among all the raw ingredients due to its
convoluted surface area. Escherichia coli were detected at low level in the
sandwiches with and without salad when stored at room temperatures. However,
°
C) and room temperatures (28±2
°
Escherichia coli were only detected in the sandwiches with salad during storage at
chilled temperature. Salmonella spp and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in
all of the sandwiches.
