Effect of pepper and salt blends on microbial quality of quanta: Ethiopian dried red meat

This study was conducted to assess the effect of spice blends varying in salt and pepper concentrations on the microbial quality of Quanta: Ethiopian dried red meat. The experiment had seven treatments: 25% spices, 25% salt, and 50% pepper (T1); 25% spices, 20% salt, and 55% pepper (T2); 25% spices, 15% salt, and 60% pepper (T3); 25% spices, 10% salt, and 65% pepper (T4); 25% spices, 5% salt, and 70% pepper (T5); 100% spices (without salt and pepper), a positive control (T6); a negative control without any added ingredient (T7). Microbiological analyses were performed initially on the raw sliced meat and spice blends, and after application of the treatments on the 10th and 20th days of drying. High initial loads of total bacteria (APC) and Enterobacteriaceae (EC) were observed in the raw meat samples and spice blends and increased over the drying periods (10 and 20 days) in all treatments. No significant difference (p>0.05) was observed among the treatments (T1-T7) for APC and EC at a given drying period and between the drying periods. Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of the seven treatments either on the 10th and 20th days of drying. However, Escherichia coli was detected in six (T1-T6) of the dry meat samples except in T7 both on the 10th and 20th days of drying suggesting that the spice blends served as a source of contamination of the dried meat samples with E. coli. However, the spice blends used in combination with drying were effective in inhibiting the growth of Salmonella species in the dry meat samples. Spices as well as the raw meat used for Quanta preparation should be produced and handled under hygienic conditions to minimize the microorganisms that they harbor.