الفهرس 
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Abstract
Two hundreds and seventy random samples of chicken breast, thigh and drumsticks (90 of each) were collected equally from two poultry processing plants (135 of each), one adopted high level of sanitation programs and the other do not adopt any type of sanitation. The collected samples were examined bacteriologically to determine their quality and to estimate the correlation between occurrence of Salmonella organisms and the other bacterial groups contaminating such products. The obtained results indicated that the mean values of APC in the examined chicken meat samples produced at low and high levels of hygiene were 8.34 x 105 ± 1.96 x 105 & 6.71 x 104 ± 1.13 x 104 / g for breast, 1.07 x 106 ± 0.31 x 106 & 3.53 x 105 ± 0.66 x 105 / g for thigh and 5.92 x 106 ± 0.87 x 106 & 7.05 x 105 ± 1.49 x 105 / g for drumsticks, respectively. Regarding the total Enterobacteriaceae count, the mean values of the examined samples of breast, thigh and drumsticks produced at low level of hygiene were 3.36 x 103 ± 0.71 x 103, 7.12 x 103 ± 1.13 x 103 and 1.23 x 104 ± 0.29 x 104/g, respectively. However, the total Enterobacteriaceae counts in the alternative products produced at high level of hygiene were 8.14 x 102 ± 2.03 x 102, 1.65 x 103 ± 0.40 x 103 and 5.82 x 103 ± 0.76 x 103 / g, respectively. In general, Enterobacteriaceae were detected from the examined breast, thigh and drumsticks with percentages of 86.67%, 95.56% & 97.78% at low level of hygiene and 73.33%, 84.44% & 88.89% at high level of hygiene, respectively. On the other hand, the average counts of total coliforms in different chicken meat samples produced at low and high levels of hygiene were 8.87 x 102 ± 2.51 x 102 & 2.35 x 102 ± 0.19 x 102 / g with isolation percentages of 77.78% & 60% for breast, 2.15 x 103 ± 0.63 x 103 & 6.08 x 102 ± 0.92 x 102 / g with isolation percentages of 84.44% & 68.89% for thigh and 5.41 x 103 ± 0.80 x 103 & 1.14 x 103 ± 0.21 x 103 / g with isolation percentages of 91.11% & 80% for drumsticks, respectively. Differences associated with APC, Enterobacteriaceae and coliform counts as a result of type of chicken meat products were significant (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high significant differences (P < 0.01) were recorded between the two levels of hygiene in their effects on these bacterial groups. However, the interaction between the type of chicken meat products and the level of hygiene was not significant. Salmonella organisms were isolated from the examined samples of breast, thigh and drumsticks with percentages of 8.89%, 11.11% & 20% at low level of hygiene and 2.22%, 6.67% and 8.89% at high level of hygiene, respectively. Moreover, the isolated Salmonellae could be serologically identified as S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis and S. haifa. Accurately, there was a significant positive correlation between the occurrence of Salmonella organisms in the examined chicken meat samples with their bacterial load (APC) and Enterobacteriaceae count. In contrast, the correlation between the presence of Salmonellae and total coliform count in the examined samples of breast, thigh and drumsticks was not significant.
Accordingly, the chicken meat products produced at low level of hygiene were more contaminated with different types of spoilage microorganisms or even pathogens (Salmonellae) as compared with those produced at high level of hygiene. Thus, the consumption of these chicken meat products may constitute a public health hazard.
The public health significance of isolated Salmonella strains and possible sources of contamination of chicken meat products with various microorganisms as well as suggestive hygienic measures to improve the sanitary status of such food items were discussed.