Determination of growth and toxin production potential of Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens during döner production process

Abstract

Döner is a traditional meat meal that is commonly consumed in Turkey. Although it receives heat treatment during processing, some microorganisms including pathogens may remain alive. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the changes in the number of microorganisms (total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, aerobic mesophilic spore-forming bacteria, Staphylococcus-Micrococcus spp.) and survival potential of some pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens) during the cooking period. Experimentally prepared döner kebabs were cooked continuously or intermittently. This process resulted in a reduction of microorganisms depending on the species and the use of low quality raw materials, and a number of bacteria survived at significant levels after cooking. The remaining bacteria multiplied and reached unacceptable levels with interrupted heat treatment over a long period of time. However, staphylococcal enterotoxins were not detected in intentionally contaminated samples that were kept at room temperature for 18 h after cooking. On the other hand, no significant microbiological changes appeared in raw sections of döner during cooking when the heat source was turned off.