Prevalence and distribution of Arcobacter spp. in raw milk and retail raw beef

J Food Prot. 2012 Aug;75(8):1474-8. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-11-487.

Abstract

A total of 106 beef samples which consisted of local (n = 59) and imported (n = 47) beef and 180 milk samples from cows (n = 86) and goats (n = 94) were collected from Selangor, Malaysia. Overall, 30.2% (32 of 106) of beef samples were found positive for Arcobacter species. Imported beef was significantly more contaminated (46.80%) than local beef (16.9%). Arcobacter butzleri was the species isolated most frequently from imported (81.8%) and local (60%) beef, followed by Arcobacter cryaerophilus in local (33.3%) and imported (18.2%) beef samples. Only one local beef sample (10%) yielded Arcobacter skirrowii. Arcobacter species were detected from cow's milk (5.8%), with A. butzleri as the dominant species (60%), followed by A. cryaerophilus (40%), whereas none of the goat's milk samples were found positive for Arcobacter. This is the first report of the detection of Arcobacter in milk and beef in Malaysia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arcobacter / isolation & purification*
  • Cattle
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Consumer Product Safety
  • Food Contamination / analysis*
  • Food Microbiology
  • Goats
  • Humans
  • Malaysia
  • Meat / microbiology*
  • Milk / microbiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Species Specificity