Evaluation of Microbiological Quality of Ready to Eat Salads in Alexandria City, Egypt

Microbial hazards continue to be one of the biggest threats to food safety. Ready to eat salads are one of the minimally processed foods that are widely served in restaurants, homes and hotels and should be evaluated to check there safety for human consumption.
This study was carried out to evaluate the microbiological quality of ready to eat salad served in most restaurants in Alexandria city, Egypt. A total of 448 samples were collected from different restaurants at different districts of the city.
Seven types of salads were analyzed for Total Viable Count Enterobacteriacea, Staphylococcus aurous, Molds and yeasts.
The results revealed that most of the collected samples were highly contaminated with total aerobic bacteria. Different contamination levels of the salad with S. aurous, Enteobacteriaceae, Molds and yeasts were noticed to be dependent on the salad type and food hygiene level .Relevant recommendations are given.