Bacterial quality and safety of raw beef: A comparison between Finland and Nigeria

Beef can easily be contaminated with bacteria during the meat production chain. In this work, we studied the contamination levels of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (MAB) and thermotolerant coliform bacteria (TCB) on raw beef surfaces from small shops in Helsinki, Finland and meat markets in Benin City, Nigeria. We also investigated the prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria, and cephalosporin-resistant E. coli (CREC). In total, one hundred unpacked raw beef samples from Finland and Nigeria were collected in 2019. The median MAB and TCB counts were significantly (P < 0.001) higher on beef from Nigeria than from Finland. The median MAB and TCB counts in Nigeria were 7.5 and 4.0 log10 cfu/cm2, respectively, and 6.5 and 2.8 log10 cfu/cm2 in Finland, respectively. Most (94%) Nigerian samples were unacceptable according to limits set by the EU. Beef samples from meat markets in Benin City were significantly (P < 0.05) more frequently contaminated with Salmonella, STEC, and CREC than beef samples from small shops in Helsinki. Salmonella, STEC, and CREC were isolated from 30, 36, and 96% of Nigerian samples, respectively, and from <2, 12, and 2% of Finnish samples, respectively. Our study demonstrates a significant difference between the bacterial contaminations of raw beef in Nigeria and Finland, along with a possible misuse of cephalosporins in animal husbandry in Nigeria.

Automated summary

The study reveals a significant difference in bacterial contamination levels on raw beef surfaces between Nigeria and Finland, with Nigerian samples showing higher bacterial counts than Finnish samples, and the majority of Nigerian samples being unacceptable according to EU standards. Furthermore, beef samples from Nigeria have higher contamination rates of Salmonella, STEC, and CREC compared to samples from Finland.