Escherichia coli and total coliforms in ground beef sold in the 12 de abril market in Cuenca-Ecuador

Abstract

Introduction: Ground beef is a food source because of its protein content, however, when handled improperly, there is the possibility of contamination by microorganisms harmful to health such as Escherichia coli. Objective: To determine the presence of Escherichia coli and total coliforms in ground beef sold in the 12 de Abril market in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Methodology: Experimental, descriptive, and observational cross-sectional design. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling was carried out to obtain 120 samples of ground beef. Results: Of the 120 samples collected, a frequency of Escherichia coli was determined in 75% and 16.67% of total coliforms in ground beef. Conclusion: The presence of Escherichia coli and total coliforms was evidenced in the samples obtained from ground beef sold in the 12 de Abril market in the city of Cuenca, this may be due to the lack of hygiene and poor handling of the product by the vendors.