Microbiological quality in fish and beef curries served with roti canai of selected local food premises

Abstract

The main objective was to determine the microbiological quality in fish and beef curries served with roti canai in selected premises around Kuala Nerus area. This research was conducted to obtain more knowledge on microbiological quality of curries served as accompaniment with roti canai due to insufficient data on the subject at present. A preliminary data was collected to determine the number of food premises that sold roti canai with cuny as its accompaniment. Samples were obtained aseptically; they were placed in sterile plastic bags and immediately brought back to the Food Science Laboratory in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, with its temperatures maintained at 0-4 ��C. Microbiological analysis was carried out at room temperature within two hours of obtaining the samples. Cuny samples were analysed for the level of total plate count (TPC), psychrotrophic count, Staphylococcus aureus count, coliform count, presence of presumptive Escherichia coli, and yeasts and mould count. The highest count for fish and beef cuny was in yeasts and mould count, followed by total plate count, psychrotrophic and S. aureus count, and the lowest count was coliform count. There was a significant difference (P< 0.05) between the microbiological analysis conducted except S. aureus count in all three premises. However, there was no significant difference between the microbiological analysis in both curries (P> 0.05). The present study concluded that the fish and beef curries from selected food premises around Kuala Nerus area were acceptable by the results or information obtained in the research, and will be useful especially to food handlers who serve cuny with roti canai everyday. Local authorities can also conduct further research on the microbiological quality of curries and include it into the Malaysian guidelines for ready-to-eat foods.