Microbiological quality and safety of cooking butter in Beni-Suef governorate-Egypt

Background: Cooking butter is one of the most popular types of fat consumed in Egyptian houses. It is produced in villages by rural women that are usually using their traditional knowledge during manufacturing.
Objective: To study the rate of contamination and hygienic quality of cooking butter
Methods: A total of 60 random samples of cooking butter, were collected from different farmers′ houses in different villages, Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. Cooking butter samples were examined for psychrotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms and molds and yeasts counts. Additionally examination for the presence of pathogenic bacteria like E.coli, S.aureus and Ps.aeruginosa were also performed.
Results: The microbiological examination revealed that 100, 100, 36.7, 31.7, 31.7 and 23.3 % of the examined samples were contaminated by psychrotrophic bacteria, molds and yeasts, coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus, respectively. None of the examined cooking butter samples contained Ps.aeruginosa. The means values of sodium chloride and titratable acidity were 0.57 ± 0.05 % and 0.20 ± 0.013%, respectively.
Conclusion: The present study showed that cooking butter is produced under unhygienic condition and without good manufacturing practice. The Public health significance and suggestive control measures are discussed.