Bifidobacteria as indicators of faecal contamination in meat and meat products: detection, determination of origin and comparison with Escherichia coli

Faecal contamination of meat and meat products and its origin, whether human or animal, was determined by using the presence of bifidobacteria as an indicator. Enrichment of samples in Beerens liquid selective medium was followed by spreading onto Columbia agar containing paromomycin. In comparison with the detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) the following results were obtained from 50 samples: E. coli. +; Bifidobacterium. +:38; E. coli -; Bifidobacterium -:9; E. coli, +; Bifidobacterium. -: 2; E. coli, -; Bifidobacterium. +: 1. From 39 positives samples, 50 strains of bifidobacteria were isolated. Two were of human origin, 48 of animal origin. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.