Microbiological Quality of Shawarma in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A total of 108 shawarma (cooked meat) samples were aseptically collected from various fast-food restaurants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These samples were examined by standard procedures for determination of aerobic plate count (APC), and counts of coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and the detection of salmonellae. The APC ranged from 102 to 3.0 × 108 CFU/g. The counts for coliforms, S. aureus and C. perfringens ranged from <10 to 106, <10 to 105 and <10 to 106 CFU/g, respectively. Twelve percent of the shawarma samples was positive for Salmonella. The results of this investigation indicate that foodborne pathogens present in shawarmas constitute a potential public health hazard.