18D-24 |
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Z. G. KASSAIFY, M. Badaoui Najjar, and I. Toufeili. Dept. of Nutrition & Food Science, American Univ. of Beirut, Riad El-Solh St., Beirut, 1107-2020, Lebanon Halawat el Jibn is a hand made cheese-based pastry widely consumed in Lebanon and the region. The manufacturing process requires melting, stirring and stretching traditional raw cheese into dough. Then, adding semolina, folding, resting, cutting in rectangular shapes, filling with Kashta, a milk coagulate, and rolling into cylinders. The final product is decorated with pistachios. Hence, the process involves intensive manual handling of highly perishable ingredients without a final heat step; thereby, offering rich support for bacterial growth. This study aimed for the first time to characterize the microbiological quality of Halawat el Jibn produced by three major manufacturers in Lebanon and to establish the application of HACCP by food operators in order to ensure the safety of the product and reduce the associated heath risks. A total of 48 samples were collected during the various stages of production representing major critical control points. Samples from the finished product and from Kashta were analyzed microbiologically and the corresponding mean log 10 counts (CFU/g) were as follows: total mesophilic bacteria, 6.68 ± 0.56; yeasts & molds, 6.33 ± 0.94; Enterobacteriaceae, 3.56 ± 0.43; Staphylococcus aureus, 5.05 ± 0.85 isolated from two manufacturers only; while Listeria spp., 6.5 ± 0.42 recovered from raw cheese and 5.00 ± 0.61 from finished product. Salmonella, Bacillus and Clostridium spp. were not detected in any of the samples. Heat melting, stretching, folding and rolling with Kashta were found to be the main CCPs in processing along with packaging and storage. Microbiologically, Halawat el Jibn was found to have borderline acceptability as set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for microbiological criteria of dairy products. Therefore, modifications in the process and the application of HACCP as designed in this study are essential for its safety.
Session 18D, Food Microbiology: General
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |